Goldsmiths' Review 2009-2010

Goldsmiths’ Review

eDItoR: David Beasley

Copyright © 2010

The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths

No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, including copying and recording, without written permission from the copyright owner, application for which should be addressed to the Goldsmiths’ Company. Opinions expressed in Goldsmiths’ Review are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Goldsmiths’ Company. Whilst every effort has been made to verify statements of fact by contributors, no responsibility is accepted for errors or omissions by them. Prospective users of techniques, materials or equipment described should take specialist advice on official safety precautions and regulations which apply to them. Both may vary from country to country.

Correspondence

The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN

michael believes that the most significant task of his year of office is to safeguard the delivery, in autumn 2011, of the Goldsmiths’ Centre

On first meeting Michael Galsworthy, the new Prime Warden, one might be forgiven for pigeonholing him as a country gentleman – a description which he personally finds perplexing. However on greater acquaintance one becomes aware that this member of a family that also included the famous author of the Forsyte Saga has many wider and more varied aspects to his life than the mere country pursuits of gardening, fishing, shooting and walking listed in his Who’s Who entry.

Born in Truro in Cornwall in 1944, the eldest of four children (and the only male) his fate was sealed from that moment. Although his father’s family originally came from North Devon where at one time they owned the Appledore Shipyard, his mother was a Johnstone from Cornwall. Two hundred years previously the Johnstones (who hailed from Scotland) married into the long established Hawkins family of Cornwall who owned a magnificent estate, house and gardens at Trewithen near Truro. It was there that the young Michael spent time, when not at school or overseas, and developed his affection for

the new Prime Warden

By David Beasley

the county. In conversation he talked of the beauty of Cornwall’s rugged, rolling landscape, its unique quality of light (bordered as it is on three sides by sea), the individuality, independence and intense loyalty of its people and its artistic communities which have long flourished there –particularly in Newlyn and St Ives. Cornwall, it would seem, has no better advocate!

Perhaps this passion for the county of his birth is related to his frequent absences from the United Kingdom. In his youth, his family followed his father’s peripatetic existence working for the august Diplomatic Service in Europe (Vienna, Athens, Brussels, Bonn, and Paris as a Minister) and later in Mexico as the Ambassador. Latterly, in his own career, Michael worked in Chicago, Milan, Paris, Dusseldorf, New York and Vancouver.

In fact, his first languages were very much French and German, such was his early education in the European schools he attended, and he distinctly remembers how in 1949 he was escorted on a daily basis through the Russian sector in Vienna to reach his school. This was the time when the Allies, after the Second World War, briefly partitioned and shared the city for administrative and control purposes – and with a degree of confrontation too!

In 1954 he returned home to the United Kingdom before going on to Radley

for his secondary education. During that time he spent a year at a Kurt Hahn school in Schondorf in Bavaria and, later, went to read languages and economics at St Andrews University in Scotland, where he gained an Honours degree. In every sense of the word therefore Michael’s education was international. Although, following university, he toyed briefly with the idea of a military career in the Black Watch, the lure of an exciting business career and foreign travel soon proved irresistible. In 1967 the International Harvester Corporation, an American worldwide engineering firm, also involved in turnkey operations, invited him to join its overseas marketing and sales division, initially in the City of London and then in Chicago. Four years later, though, he moved to the English China Clays Company with its mining operations around the globe, but with headquarters in Cornwall. The Company has a worldwide reputation for the production of the finest pigments, predominantly for the paper industry but also for pharmaceuticals, paint, polymers and ceramics. From Cornwall alone its annual production is in excess of two million tonnes. Michael’s family has long had a close association with the Company through mining concessions and it was thus a logical progression for him too – especially in the field of

international development and overseas joint venture operations.

In 1972 he married Charlotte, daughter of Colonel Maxwell Stuart Roberts, a Master of the Bakers’ Company, an Alderman of Cordwainer Ward and a Churchwarden of St Mary- le-Bow. Indeed the ninth bell of the twelve famous Bow Bells is named Timothy, after Charlotte’s late brother. Michael and Charlotte had three children – Olivia, Stamford (‘Sam’) and Susannah – but he was widowed in 1989 when she died of cancer.

This event, together with his inheritance of the Trewithen Estate, forced a change in Michael’s lifestyle and brought big new responsibilities as landowner, custodian of an historic house and owner of the famous Trewithen botanic gardens. He had however by then also taken the step to set up his own management consultancy, Hawkins Wright Associates, offering specialist advice to the pulp and paper industry in Europe and N. America for investment planning and market development. The company expanded quickly with Michael again frequently in New York, Helsinki, Paris, Milan and Munich. A few years later though, as mentioned before, his personal circumstances changed dramatically and Michael decided to sell the company to focus attention on new priorities.

In 1984 he had been invited by the Prince of Wales to become a member of the Prince’s Council, an historic body originally established by Edward III when he created the Duchy of Cornwall in 1337. This group of advisors oversaw the management and direction of the Duchy’s affairs and those of the firstborn male heir to the throne. Michael retired as a member of the Prince’s Council in 2000. Also in the mid-1980s the Secretary of State of the Department of the Environment invited Michael to join the Rural Development Commission (RDC) for England as one of eight Commissioners to advise on economic development and investment in rural England. Through its Rural Development Programme the RDC had an important impact on rural job creation, social inclusion and general wealth enhancement in the community. Possibly one of the most successful policies rolled out by the RDC at the time, according to Michael, was its redundant buildings conversion programme which created workspace and employment in rural areas and encouraged farm diversification. Whilst on the RDC Michael was invited to join the Board of the Rural Housing Trust which in turn encouraged the development of homes to let to local people in rural communities. In this capacity Michael set up the Cornwall Rural Housing Association (of which he is now President) which has now built several hundred houses across Cornwall to let at affordable rents to local people in an area where

second home ownership has tilted the scales against potential home buyers.

On a particularly happy and personal note Michael married again in 1992, this time to Sarah, a life-long family friend and daughter of the late Commander the Reverend Peter Durnford, by whom he has two children, Jack and Imogen. His is now a large, dynamic and happy household.

Michael Galsworthy’s own abilities to bring people together for a common purpose can perhaps best be illustrated by the award of his CBE in 1999 – ‘for services to industry and for services to the community’. One particular aspect of this ‘service’ was the commencement, in his year of office as High Sheriff of Cornwall (1994), of a public/ private partnership (PPP) for the purpose of preparing the way for large scale European investment in infrastructure and business projects in Cornwall. Entitled ‘In Pursuit of Excellence’ this project was a multi-million pound undertaking and as a business model was rolled out in other regions of England to encourage European inward investment.

As befits a person with the real interests of the countryside at heart, he is no ‘nimby’, being one of the first people in the South West to embrace alternative sources of energy production through the development of his own wind farm. However, he is also a firm believer in nuclear energy which he believes is indispensable if society is to adapt to a future life with diminishing supplies of fossil

fuels. Interestingly, he is currently also developing a photovoltaic solar park in one part of the Trewithen estate in partnership with a nationally based renewable energy company. Michael advocates ‘thinking outside the box’ and it obviously runs in the family as his son, Sam, has recently successfully applied for a licence to distil gin and vodka in London (the first such licence to be awarded for over 190 years). His father is quick to make the point that production is definitely for the wider consumer market rather than for family consumption.

In Cornwall, Michael currently serves as Vice Lord Lieutenant and is clearly quite at ease with the numerous Royal visitors the county is privileged to receive. As such the office of Prime Warden should hold no fears for him, although he did confess to some apprehension and nervousness. By his own admission, it is for him a very great honour, more especially because he will be following in the footsteps of his late father’s great friend, Lord Boyd of Merton, a former Prime Warden and one time head of the old Foreign and Colonial Office where the two served together for many years. It was Viscount Boyd who originally introduced Michael to the Goldsmiths’ Company in 1973. Michael was then elected to the Livery in 1991 and to the Court of Assistants in 1998.

As the custodian himself of an historic building, he should have no problem with the Hall, and the odd tree in the Company’s garden would pale into

insignificance against the 40,000 trees (pine, beech, oak, flowering cherry, ash and Spanish chestnut) which have been planted at Trewithen over the last few years. He is passionate about commissioning contemporary work and is not unduly worried about size. Having recently commissioned a splendid ‘magnolia’ fountain in the gardens at Trewithen, he is currently working with the silversmith, Richard Fox, on a centrepiece along similar lines for his dining table at Trewithen. Michael believes that the most significant task of his year of office is to safeguard the delivery, in autumn 2011, of the Goldsmiths’ Centre. “The Goldsmiths’ Company is a great and ancient Livery Company still entirely committed to the support and encouragement of its industry, and the Goldsmiths’ Centre will one day stand as a splendid manifestation of that support. Having said this, and recognising the vulnerable economic and financial conditions in which we operate, it is going to be essential for the Goldsmiths’ Company to live within its means in the year ahead.”

In his year of office, Michael will be well supported by his wife, Sarah, and his family of Sam, Olivia, Susannah, Jack and Imogen as well as all members of the Company who share the new Prime Warden’s view that this new venture of the Goldsmiths’ Centre is an exciting and unique opportunity to invest in the future of our craft.

the Past Prime Warden

By Rupert Hambro

it is difficult to know quite where to start, when asked to reflect upon one’s year as Prime Warden.

the wardens have been greatly assisted in their deliberations by susan Bailey, the new director of Finance

Rather surprisingly my family have mostly been Fishmongers. My interest has never really been with the fish, despite my family owning a fish restaurant, but more with silver, jewellery and the commissioning of both. When I was approached and asked to join the Court, the thought of becoming a Prime Warden seemed a lifetime away but the six years before becoming a Warden and then becoming a Prime Warden in 2009, all seemed to pass surprisingly quickly.

It was clear that certain things were requiring attention in the Company because of the financial situation and the Wardens have been greatly assisted in their deliberations by Susan Bailey, the new Director of Finance. Secondly, Warren Benbow retired during my year and left with a farewell party at which he made a memorable speech. We were very fortunate to be able to

appoint Nick Harland who has taken the new position of Deputy Clerk and has ‘hit the ground running’. It has not been a year when life has been easy. It was most disappointing that it became necessary to cut back the size of our Assay Office by redundancies, and it has also been necessary to reduce some of the expenditure in the Hall. This was against a background of very uncertain economic times, a falling stock market and falling property prices. The Court had already committed to build the Goldsmiths’ Centre in Clerkenwell and the money for this had been ring-fenced. It was possible to take the decision to go ahead with the project as a result of the profit from the development of our freehold land in New Fetter Lane. It was, however, of concern that our original contractor went into administration but the Company was fortunate that the construction phase of the project had not started. As I write, the building work

is well under way with Balfour Beatty in the role of prime contractor, and it is hoped to be completed in the autumn of 2011. There has always been great enthusiasm for the project and we were lucky that we were not caught mid-way through the construction.

On a much brighter note, the stock market has now recovered as have property values, and the Assay Office reorganisation has resulted in lower volumes but a more reasonable out-turn.

The Company has had a travelling exhibition of its contemporary silver collection. This has been hugely popular in every place that it has been shown and, last winter, it opened in Ruthin in North Wales.

The opening was attended by most of the silversmiths whose work was on show as well as many Welsh dignitaries. London has a national collection of silver –The Silver Trust. The Scottish Assembly has commissioned contemporary silversmiths for its collection but Wales is

yet to commission anything for Cardiff. I sincerely hope this oversight will soon be corrected.

During my year I have met a great number of people many of whom, I hope, will remain part of my life. From the dinners in stunning halls around the City of London to a drenching in a horse drawn coach in the Lord Mayor’s show – the variety in the job made for an interesting as well as often entertaining year.

I was so ably supported by Margaret McGregor who retires this year and, of course, by Dick Melly, our Clerk, who always greatly outpaced me whenever we walked to events but, nevertheless, was always there to support and to encourage. To him my grateful thanks.

The Court of Wardens are a wonderfully friendly group but never let one get away with bending the rules. I thank them for their support and encouragement as well as their friendship. Most particularly I want to thank

my wife Robin for her support during the year. It is not always easy for the wife of the Prime Warden, particularly if you are an American, but she has enjoyed it and participated fully. Lastly, I wish my successor Michael Galsworthy an enjoyable and saga-free year.

the Company has had a travelling exhibition of its contemporary silver collection. this has been hugely popular in every place that it has been shown

HRH Princess Alexandra with the Prime Warden at the evening reception of Creation II on 28 May, 2009

of the year Review

Creation II

The second exhibition in this series resulted in a stimulating display of the work of 12 jewellers with individual DVDs of them speaking about their work. HRH Princess Alexandra attended on the evening of 28 May and spent time speaking to the curator, Mary La Trobe-Bateman (seen, left, receiving a bouquet), and to the participating craftspeople.

New Designers 2009

Hannah Livingston, last year’s jewellery prizewinner, has been busy completing a design residency at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee and developing new collections based on her locket theme. Her work is now available from a number of bespoke retailers across the UK and she is working on a commission basis from her studio in Edinburgh.

Lee Simmons, the silversmithing prizewinner, has begun the two-year course at the Royal College of Art. He commented:

“It was the highest accolade for a graduating student… and, as a result, I undertook several prestigious commissions, one of which was for the Lord Mayor’s collection for Sheffield Town Hall.

The award is a marvellous opportunity for ‘new designers’ to gain unprecedented feedback from fellow graduates, industry professionals, press and the public.”

summer school

2009

In its second year, the short summer school course, for selected students from UK colleges, was led by Dr Stuart Devlin and held at the Hall. As well as visits to workshops there were intense design sessions, peer review of design work, and final assessment interviews. All the students left with a new awareness in their capabilities and a desire to achieve tangible outcomes in their final year at college.

Three Printers statue

Following a successful action by the Curator and others, the Three Printers statue, by William Dudeney, was rescued from its former location on the Company’s New Street property and installed, in September 2009, in the south east corner of the Company’s garden to the north of the Hall and Gresham Street.

Goldsmiths’ Fair

In spite of the economic downturn the Fair had a successful fortnight with exhibitors reporting strong sales. Visitor numbers and sales held up well against last year’s figures. Thirty-one exhibitors showed for the first time. Many private commissions followed on as a result of clients being inspired by work which they had seen and admired at the Fair.

Adrian Brooks Martin Stewart

Young Designer silversmith award 2009

Haruka Usui, who won the award in 2009, was, at first, really worried about entering Howard Fenn’s workshop, having never made anything bigger than eight sq. cm. “It was such an amazing experience… as a craftsman… I am now feeling that the techniques which I learned, and the perseverance I gained, all helped improve my skills.”

Haruka is graduating from Glasgow this summer.

Precious metal Bursaries

The judges at the New Designers exhibition, Lorna Watson (left), and Mary Ann Simmons, later spent a day in December at the Hall assessing the designs entered by second

year college students for the Company’s precious metal bursaries. From 123 entries from 19 colleges, 36 bursaries worth £11,000 in precious metals were awarded for pieces to be made up for college degree shows (and New Designers) in 2011.

Getting Started

This event – for aspiring graduates keen to expand their professional and business skills – had an extra benefit this year. As well as the evening reception (seen left), this year’s programme culminated in a special

collaboration between the Company and Cox & Power, who had given a presentation during the week to delegates. Work of twelve of them was featured at Cox & Power’s Marylebone jewellery boutique in May 2010.

trial of the Pyx

The Wardens were out in force for the Trial of the Pyx this year in February. Two of the jurymen were Liverymen with Mint connections –silversmith Rod Kelly and sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley – the former designed a £2 coin and the latter sculpted the Queen’s head in profile.

Treasures of the 21st Century

Lucian Taylor has been developing the technique of fusing using fine flame. The first fruits of this work were shown to great effect at Origin last autumn where the Company bought SpherewithinaSphere It was the final exhibit for the Company’s stunning travelling show of the modern

silver collection at Ruthin this year. The exhibition design was created by the marvellous but modest Michael Green.

Hiroshi Suzuki: Silver Waves

A one-man show of the work of Japanese silversmith, Hiroshi Suzuki (seen with Warden Hector Miller), ran in February. The exhibition was planned in close association with Adrian Sassoon London which produced the catalogue. The artist, recently elected an Associate of the Company, gave two public lectures about his work.

Young Designer silversmith award 2010

In this year’s competition brief – for a fish dish for the presentation of a particular species of fish ready for serving at the table –Bishopsland student Ben Ryan won with his unusual

Goldsmiths’ centre

The Chairman of the Trustees of the Goldsmiths’ Centre, Martin Drury, Assistant, signed a letter of intent with the Managing Director of Balfour Beatty Construction Scottish & Southern Ltd,

mussel dish. He took his inspiration from the shape and the lines on a mussel shell.

Carl Padgham and Andrew Putland will be overseeing Ben making this silver piece in their workshop in the summer.

Peter Clist, on 21 January at Goldsmiths’ Hall to contract with his company for the building of the new Goldsmiths’ Centre. This was a very significant milestone in the progress to the completion of this project.

Alex Farquhar

Rupert Todd

Martin Stewart

Martin Stewart

Shortly before his death in 1924, the Edwardian silver collector, Frank Farrer, wrote his will. He left the bulk of his collection to his two brothers, but made separate provision for a few specific pieces. To his dealer, Lionel Crichton, he left a two-handled cup engraved with the Siege of Namur. But the bequest contained an unusual clause: Crichton could leave it to whomever he chose, but only on condition that it came thereafter to the Goldsmiths’ Company. The conditions of the will were finally fulfilled in 1988 when the cup entered the Company’s collection. The Namur cup thus forms a link between the Goldsmiths’ Company and the Ashmolean Museum, to which the bulk of the collection was left when Frank’s last surviving brother, Gaspard, died in 1946. The bequest had a dramatic impact on the museum. Up until then the museum had almost no silver, its holdings amounting to little more than an Elizabethan tankard given by Dr William Bouchier in 1790 and a couple of pieces with historic Oxford associations. The arrival of the Farrer collection, comprising over 150 pieces

of distinguished seventeenth and early eighteenth century English silver, handed the museum a collection that it might otherwise have taken generations to assemble. Nor did it stop there. Further magnificent bequests followed and, in little more than a decade, its holdings were transformed from a tiny cluster into a major assemblage of some 400 objects. Today the museum has one of the greatest collections of English silver in the world, arguably ranking third after the V&A and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Bequests are part of the lifeblood of a museum, and many of the most famous objects in our national museums were acquired in this way. But they are not always predictable. Museum directors might have some influence over what is bequeathed but very little –one hopes – over when. The story of the post-war silver bequests to the Ashmolean is extraordinary, both because of the timing of their arrival and the providential way in which the different collections complemented each other and merged seamlessly together.

Farrer was a wealthy Edwardian gentleman. He and his brothers were scions of Farrer and Co., the famous and still leading firm of solicitors based then, as now, in a handsome Queen

in the Ashmolean Museum

By Timothy Schroder

Anne building in London’s Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Bachelors all, they lived together in great style in a house in St James’s Square. Frank’s taste was conventional but his eye was exceptional. He particularly favoured the work of the early eighteenth century immigrant French Huguenot goldsmiths, such as Pierre Platel, Pierre Harache and Paul de Lamerie. By the beginning of the twentieth century de Lamerie’s reputation as ‘the best of the best’ was firmly established among collectors, and his is much the most prominent name in Farrer’s collection. Among about 40 pieces or sets with the famous goldsmith’s mark, Farrer acquired some of the most celebrated of all his works, such as the great toilet service and punch bowl made for George Treby and a magnificently engraved sideboard dish of 1722. Astonishingly, Farrer seems to have formed his collection in less than two decades. Such a pace would be impossible

Frank’s taste was conventional but his eye was exceptional

today. The antique silver market was very different in his time from now; there were many more dealers, the flow of goods was vastly greater and prices were lower. But even so, it required considerable determination and resources to acquire so much in such a short space of time. Despite his natural modesty, Farrer was aware that in forming this collection he was doing something exceptional. He decided to publish a catalogue and commissioned the famous silver historian, E. Alfred Jones, to compile it. The resulting book, with its beautiful images and fine typography, is a monument to early twentieth century printing. But the book became a race against time. Dying of cancer, Farrer continued to collect until his final months.

William Francis (‘Frank’) Farrer (1858-1924)

Treby punch bowl, 1723, Britannia silver, by Paul de Lamerie

Images courtesy of Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Proctor basin, 1592, silver-gilt and enamel, maker’s mark probably IN above a mullet

His understandable wish to include everything inevitably delayed publication and, sadly, he died just a few weeks before the book appeared.

It is largely because of this great book that the Farrer collection has continued to enjoy a special celebrity to this day. Indeed, in the eyes of many silver aficionados, the Ashmolean’s collection is the Farrer. But this was far from the case, as was made very clear to the public who, in the austere and colourless years immediately following the war, were treated to not one but four grand unveilings of new gifts of silver to the

Among the star turns is a fascinating late seventeenth century teapot, bearing Benjamin Pyne’s mark

museum. Just six months after the arrival of the Farrer collection, it was followed by the Carter bequest, and then the Mallett and the Conway gifts; collectively these latter additions more than doubled the Farrer bequest.

Albert Carter was a very different man and a very different collector. An academic lawyer, he was law tutor for quarter of a century at Christ Church, Oxford, where he was known as a patrician scholar who tended to sneer at those less intelligent and diligent than himself. But he had a life outside Oxford too. He

was a man of independent means, maintaining rooms at the fashionable Albany in Piccadilly, and it was there that he displayed the silver collection that was formed over many years until he claimed that rising prices made it difficult for him to continue.

The Carter collection is more subdued than Farrer’s. His interest focused on the seventeenth century rather than the eighteenth and his pieces are mostly on a smaller scale. But there are some marvellous things nonetheless. Among the star turns is a fascinating

late seventeenth century teapot, bearing Benjamin Pyne’s mark, which is based on an early Chinese wine ewer. Others are an enchanting pair of silver-gilt cups made for the Earl of Clare and another made for the Bridgeman family. In addition to the 50 or so pieces of hollowware, there is another group of material, amounting almost to a separate collection altogether, in the form of some 60 spoons spanning the early sixteenth to the late seventeenth century. This represents virtually the entire development of the English

spoon over that formative period. When coupled with the long-term loans from the Benson collection (formed by the late Jane How) and from Corpus Christi College the museum is arguably the best centre anywhere for the study of this minor but fascinating subject.

The bequest of two such different and yet complementary collections to the same institution may not have been entirely a matter of chance. I have no evidence that Farrer and Carter were friends but they almost certainly knew each other. Near neighbours, with a shared legal background and a strong mutual interest in silver, why would they not? For Carter, of course, Oxford would anyway have been a natural home for his collection but I imagine he was encouraged in his plan by knowing that it would be united with Farrer’s.

The third great benefactor in the immediate aftermath of the war was Francis Mallett. He had collected in many fields and silver was, if anything, a relatively minor part of his collection. His English silver was mostly from the sixteenth century and sat well alongside the pieces bequeathed by Carter and – 150 years earlier –Dr Bouchier. But his most original contribution was in the field of continental silver. This was one that had been

almost completely ignored in the past and Mallett’s impressive fifteenth and sixteenth century Iberian and German silver brought something completely new to the museum: a wonderful enamelled

standing pyx from Majorca; a late gothic embossed dish from Portugual; and a pair of engraved beakers by the famous Nuremberg goldsmith Hans Pezold to name but a few.

Ten years is not a long time in the life of a museum as

old as the Ashmolean and it was barely ten years later that the last of this series of gifts came to the museum.

In 1958 Mrs Joan Conway gave a small but remarkable group of rococo silver that perfectly complemented that in the Farrer collection. For although Farrer’s was of outstanding quality, he was not attracted by its most exuberant forms and it was precisely this quality that marked out Mrs Conway’s silver. Her rococo sauceboats by Charles Kandler and her figural candelabra by Paul de Lamerie are among the most brilliantly inventive works of the period and brought the museum’s eighteenth century silver to a dramatic climax. With this spectacular addition the great period of expansion came to an end. For over thirty years, indeed, almost nothing of note was added, the only real exception being a ewer and dish made for the Lomellini family of Genoa in 1619, which was acquired in 1974.

Pair of sauceboats, 1737, silver, by (Charles) Frederick Kandler

Majorcan standing pyx, third quarter 14th century, silver-gilt and enamel

Teapot, c.1685-90, silver-gilt, by Benjamin Pyne (the chain modern)

Albert Thomas Carter (1861-1946)

Under Timothy Wilson’s keepership, however, the collection has started to grow once more. His first acquisition was the dish from a superb engraved toilet service of 1695 by Pierre Harache. Seeking to build on the seventeenth century holdings of the collection, the dish has been followed by a chinoiserie monteith bowl of 1684, a powerfully sculptural tankard by the immigrant German goldsmith Jacob Bodendeich and a monumental basket by Pierre Harache.

The most important of all these recent additions is an Elizabethan ewer and basin of 1596, from the collection formed by the famous Edwardian financier, Sir Ernest Cassell.

Unlike the earlier gifts, these acquisitions were the result of careful planning and would have been quite impossible without generous

such as the Art Fund, the Whiteley Trust and – not least – the Goldsmiths’ Company. But the tradition of quiet private philanthropy that brought so much of the collection together is far from dead, and the most recent donation came in 2005 when Jim and Christine Chance presented their outstanding collection of silver sauceboats. This was the fruit of a lifetime’s collecting. It would have been an extraordinary gift for any museum but has a particular resonance at the Ashmolean, for until then its sauceboats had consisted of just two quite dull pairs from the Farrer and Carter collections and the exuberant tours de force from the Conway. Now, suddenly, everything in-between, and virtually the entire development of the English sauceboat, was supplied at a stroke.

Such a rich and significant collection as the Ashmolean’s deserved to be published, both because of its international importance and as a record of extraordinary private generosity. Indeed, ever since those heady early days after the war it had been the museum’s intention to publish a catalogue. Gerald Taylor, Liveryman of this Company and senior assistant keeper, spent many years researching and building up the objects’ files. For a number of reasons, however, the catalogue had not materialised and, following Taylor’s retirement in 1990, Timothy Wilson invited me to take up the project. We fondly imagined that it would take about four years to complete; in fact it took closer to twenty. Other commitments played a part but the continuing growth in the collection added to the impossible without generous support from grantmaking bodies the huge amount of research that was needed

and the scope of the project expanded as I worked on it. Compiling a catalogue like this does not only involve a good deal of work; it also calls for reflection. There is no such thing as a standard catalogue structure, and many different factors determine the shape and arrangement of the entries. In this case the encyclopaedic holdings of many of the wares such as cups, candlesticks, and tea wares, suggested a typological organisation. This principle having emerged, it became clear that certain other elements, not originally planned, were essential. The most substantial of these were introductory essays to each of the 25 sections, as well as a biographical directory of all the makers represented in the collection.

Goldsmiths’ Company. Many of the eighteenth century names had been written up by Arthur Grimwade in his book on Londongoldsmiths (1975), but much new research has been carried out since then on his makers.

Biographical information on earlier or provincial goldsmiths was more scattered, and this seemed a good opportunity to gather this research together in a single publication. In some ways the most rewarding of all these additional sections was the history of the collection itself. The fact that so much of it has been given made it clear that biographical sketches of the principal donors was the least we could do, institutionally, to acknowledge them.

The sectional introductions describe the historical context in which each of the categories emerged. But, in thinking about these, I frequently found myself looking at questions not always asked by previous writers, such as ‘Why was the two-handled cup such a peculiarly English form?’ or ‘Why did apostle spoons continue to be popular when religious iconography had been banished from our churches?’ These questions took in broader social and religious factors and required wide-ranging reading and research to answer.

The other part – the biographical directory – was also a laborious undertaking. The British silver in the collection represents some 260 makers and a significant proportion of the leading names in the annals of the

the University) have all been fascinating and rewarding to research. Some, such as a superb sixteenth century relief pewter dish by François Briot, have taken me out of my comfort zone and opened new worlds in the process.

To work with all of these objects, and hundreds of others too, during this long process has been a great privilege and, if the secrets of a few, inevitably, have proved harder to unlock, the journey has been no less interesting for that.

Honoured though Farrer, Carter and Mallett were in their own time, their names have faded in the collective memory until they are just that: names. So I hope that these short biographies will enable them to live on in some way, at least among enthusiasts of English silver. If researching some of the more arcane objects in the collection has honed my skills in general research, it is the quality of the mainstream objects in the collection that originally drew me to the task and that has given me most pleasure. Objects like Dr Bouchier’s tankard (because it has been there since 1790); George Treby’s punch bowl and toilet service (because they are superlatively good and in pristine state); and the Duke of Ormonde’s 1667 tankard (because it opens a window onto the history of

In these volumes I have tried to present nearly 600 objects as clearly and fully as possible, with fi ne images, details, comparative objects and all the hallmarks. This has resulted in a large threevolume publication and, inevitably, a high price

such a rich and signifi cant collection as the Ashmolean’s deserved to be published

(£350). This may not be a vast amount in absolute terms (two top tickets to Covent Garden, for example, or a new iPhone) but it is still a lot for a catalogue. Happily, for those not able to stretch to this sum, a version of the catalogue, with abridged entries, is available on the Museum’s website at www.ashmolean. org/ash/objects/?mu=12 9 The website lacks the physicality and permanence of the catalogue, and much of its information too – but as long as the book remains in print, there is a choice.

Bouchier tankard, 1574, silver-gilt, maker’s mark CP, CB or CD, an axe between

Dish, 1695, silver-gilt, by Pierre Harache I

Cagework tankard, c.1665-70, silver parcel-gilt, attributed to Jacob Bodendeich

The art of

engagement

a silversmith in residence at Dunham Massey

Hallmarks were developed for the purpose of preventing fraud and protecting the wealth of the nation but they have the fortunate byproduct of allowing us to identify the names of makers. Thus at Dunham Massey in Cheshire we know that some of the finest goldsmiths of the early 18th century are represented in the great collection assembled there by George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington (1675–1758). Their surnames – de Lamerie,

18th century patrons and their produce was often sold through agents.

By James Rothwell, National Trust Adviser on Silver and Curator

Liger, Willaume, Archambo, Feline, Mettayer – betray their origins as Huguenot refugees from religious persecution in France, and their wares show that they brought sophisticated technical and design skills with them and that they led the silversmithing field in late 17th and early 18th century England. They are held in high esteem by us today yet comparatively little is known about them as individuals: they would mostly have been anonymous to their

A wider appreciation of the individual artist-craftsman developed in the 19th century, as is witnessed by the commencement of naming makers in plate lists and auction catalogues, and their stature in relation to wrought silver is now valued by collectors in much the same way as painters to pictures. When a special exhibition of contemporary silver was mounted at Dunham Massey last year in collaboration with the Goldsmiths’ Company, the star of the show was the silversmith herself, Shannon O’Neill, complemented by the beautiful objects which she has created. The exhibition highlighted Shannon’s commissions and career and, thanks to the support of the Goldsmiths, she was able to be employed as an artist in residence for the season, working at weekends in front of the public at a fully operational smith’s bench.

In 1995 Shannon, who comes from Cheshire, became the youngest ever winner of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths’ Young Designer Silversmith Award with her silver water jug which now forms part of the permanent collection at Manchester City Art Gallery. She graduated with a BA in Three Dimensional Design from Manchester

Metropolitan University and went on to receive an educational grant from the NADFAS Patricia Fay Memorial Fund and the Silver Trust to finance her postgraduate training, with placements at leading artist and designer craftsmen’s workshops. Her commissions include, in 1999, a water jug for the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, and a fish server for Professor Seymour Rabinovitch. She made a Millennium condiment set for the Worshipful Company of Paviors (2001); a pair of candelabra for the Worshipful Company of Weavers (2002); and the Strategic Management Cup for the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants (2007) amongst others. The curves and form of Shannon’s silverwork echo her background as a dancer and ceramicist, giving a sense of fluidity and movement to her domestic pieces.

Shannon uses the same range of hand-craft skills today as were employed by silversmiths in the 18th century, and visitors to Dunham were able to compare the results of her work with the forms and finishes of the myriad of artefacts for use about the house commissioned by Lord Warrington during his long tenure of the estate. One lucky member of the

public won the piece which Shannon was to be seen working on, the specially commissioned Dunham Massey Beaker which was inspired by the leaves of

Through this initiative, which has been the longheld ambition of Rosemary Ransome Wallis of the Goldsmiths’ Company and is enthusiastically supported

the curves and form of shannon’s silverwork echo her background as a dancer and ceramicist

the stately oaks in the park.

So popular did the raffle for the beaker prove that a new batch of entry forms had to be printed after just a couple of months, and use was made of one of the vast Edwardian baths at Dunham for the draw. The exhibition was viewed by 48,263 visitors during its six-month run, a substantial increase on the same period in 2008.

A private view, with National Trust staff invited from houses with key collections of silver, was also a great success and has led to future exhibitions in 2011 and 2012, with Theresa Nguyen and Miriam Hanid as artists-inresidence at Kedleston and Ickworth. Other venues are also being explored.

by the National Trust, contemporary silversmithing has been championed before a wide audience and has proved an effective tool in enabling the public to better engage with the products of the past. It is opportune that the Trust has recently appointed a contemporary arts programme manager, funded by the Arts Council, and is in the process of developing a national plan for the further promotion of contemporary visual arts and crafts at its properties.

Dunham Massey

Maura James, the winner, with Shannon O’Neill

Shannon O’Neill at work at Dunham Massey Courtesy of the National Trust. © Emma Williams

The Dunham Massey beaker by Shannon O’Neill © James Fisher

Courtesy of the National Trust.

theGoldsmiths’ Centre

By Peter Taylor, Centre Director (Designate)

The Court of Assistants of the Goldsmiths’ Company last year unanimously approved the capital funding required to redevelop a site in Clerkenwell, London, by the charity established for this purpose as a centre for the craft and industry. This £17.5m project represents the Company’s largest ever direct investment in the industry. The Goldsmiths’ Centre will house workshops, studios, exhibition and conference space and a café, as well as the Goldsmiths’ Institute, a state-of-the-art training facility for young craftsmen and women.

In the 2008 Goldsmiths’ Review it was reported that permission had been given for the development of the Goldsmiths’ Centre, and a new charity had been formed to manage this process.

In the same issue, readers were also able to read the thoughts of Mr Martin Drury, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Centre, who explained the overarching rationale and purpose behind the initiative.

At the time of writing these articles, there was a tremendous air of excitement about arriving on site and starting the construction phase of the project. Unfortunately, as is so often the case, events did not turn out quite as planned. Having completed a revised tender process in April 2009, a contract was placed in May with a start date of 7 June for the lead contractor to go on site. Whilst all initially went well, with the contractor’s cabins duly being installed and hoardings being erected around the perimeter, a few early warning bells were being sounded and by July the contractor informed the Trustees that it was in financial difficulty. By this stage, as the accompanying photographs demonstrate, the demolition process had begun. The contractor finally went into administration in August.

The Goldsmiths’ Company quickly endorsed the Trustees’ decision to retender the contract and, whilst the

delay was of course unwelcome, it did allow the Trustees to make the best use of the additional time available and to reduce further the risk associated with the project. The site at Eagle Court was cleared of all rubble from the demolition process and the interior of the school building was stripped back to its bare bones. Additionally archaeologists from the Museum of London dug trial pits which, thankfully, indicated that significant archaeological finds are unlikely.

As part of the retendering process, much work has also gone into finalising the interior design with particular emphasis on the public areas of the building. These are now well developed with a consistent and high quality scheme throughout. The revised tender documentation was finally issued in October and some highly competitive tenders were received at the end of December. After some robust negotiations, the Trustees entered into a contract with Balfour Beatty on 18 March 2010, and it is now anticipated that the Centre will open for business in October 2011.

So what will the Centre offer when it opens? At the heart of the Charity’s purpose is education and training and, whilst there will also be workshops, studios, conference and a café space on site, this, of course, remains our priority.

The Goldsmiths’ Institute will offer a range of educational opportunities for children, young people, graduates and the general public, ranging from exhibitions and events to full-time programmes for pre-apprentices, postgraduates and the craft and industry. The delay in opening and the current economic climate has meant the postponement of the launch of the pre-apprentice programme until autumn 2012. Nevertheless, both the postgraduate programme and part-time classes will begin shortly after the building is opened.

The Goldsmiths’ Company and its membership are a unique and powerful resource and when the Centre goes ‘live’ the Trustees hope, and expect, that more and more of our freedom and livery will become actively engaged in the activities of the Institute and indeed the Centre as a whole. Everyone can choose to play a role whether through their craft and

teaching skills or by renting a room for an event or by supporting an exhibition. The Trustees of the Charity are delighted that the Goldsmiths’ Company has chosen to continue to support the redevelopment of the site despite the setbacks over last summer. As the construction project gains momentum, I look forward to reporting on progress in next year’s Review

this £17.5m project represents the Company’s largest ever direct investment in the industry

The first group site visit of the Trustees to view progress

The northern part of the site cleared of later 20th century buildings (top)

Architectural features of the Victorian school are still visible despite the many changes of use of the building (bottom)

Peter Taylor

Peter Taylor

Peter Taylor

forms elemental

The fluid silver of Hiroshi Suzuki

By Corinne Julius

Images courtesy of Adrian

Sassoon, London

Nature is the inspiration for many artists, none more so than the Japanese silversmith Hiroshi Suzuki. His fluid, flowing, sensual forms evoke the feel of wind blowing through grasses, the tide leaving its retreating impression in wet sand, flames licking skywards and the furrowing of earth. “Nature,” he says, “is a popular theme that I explore and challenge in my own way. Nature cannot be bettered. I use materials and take ideas from nature, but I have never thought that I could produce something better than nature. I just try to get as close as possible.

I occasionally use photos but I have no fixed method. What I express is a feeling.”

His ability to express these feelings in metal is clearly appreciated by the many admirers of his work, from those who visited his highly successful exhibition at the Goldsmiths’ Hall in the spring

Nature cannot be bettered. i use materials and take ideas from nature, but i have never thought that i could produce something better than nature

of 2010 to avid collectors. Suzuki did not start off wanting to work with silver, indeed he describes himself as “an accidental silversmith” – someone who is “not very good at learning under someone else”. His family was engaged in making: his grandfather was a potter and his father a goldsmith. There is however little tradition of silversmithing in Japan and after graduating from the Musashino Art University in Tokyo he came to Britain to study at Camberwell in 1994, before undertaking his Masters degree at the Royal College of Art.

At the RCA he made sculptural narrow-necked vessels, mostly in copper and brass. Both were cheaper than silver, both were related to historic traditions in Japan and both allowed him to play with patination and to develop unusual techniques. The RCA’s visiting

silversmith, the Dane, Allan Scharff, encouraged Suzuki to experiment with silver and so Suzuki transferred his somewhat unorthodox making techniques to this new metal. He was further stimulated by the Britannia silver that Michael Rowe brought in to the Royal College in 1997. Suzuki compares it to gilding metal.

“For me they have similar qualities. In 1995 I had found silver impossible to work but by 1998 with this new silver I was enjoying it,” he explains.

“My way of using materials is very different. It is not really silversmithing, it’s more like being a ceramicist.”

Suzuki demonstrates virtuoso technical skill with this new way of working yet he has only been in practice for ten years. He makes silver into a dynamic material transforming the metal from its static, rigid state into rippling, flowing vessels of

extraordinary sensuousness.

His vases and bowls often seem like silvered, highly worked clay. Just as a ceramicist pushes and pulls the clay with his fingers, so Suzuki explores and controls his silver with specially textured hammers – over 300 of them. He produced the textures on each of the differently weighted and shaped hammers himself, developing patterns for the particular qualities which he wishes to express. He uses a favoured five or six hammers for an individual piece.

“The vase form is my canvas, and I draw with my hammer,” he explains.

This investigation of materials, the pushing of them to the limit, is at the heart of his making. Whilst many contemporary silversmiths are principally concerned with ideas rather than process, Suzuki’s practice is materially rather than ideas based.

His work flows from the hand and the heart rather than being a primarily intellectual engagement the head. “I don’t follow the conventional way,” he explains. “I didn’t learn properly about silversmithing, but I do know how to use materials. I learn their properties by handling them and working with them. I never read technical manuals. The proper way may exist, but for purpose and efficiency I evolve my own. My work is obviously wrong; therefore I need thicker material whilst skilful people use thin materials. I hate thin edges and make things as thick as possible.”

This is particularly true of his double skinned vessels where the different highly manipulated inner and outer surfaces must have equal perfection and which he raises on air –his own technique, much copied but never bettered.

Miyabi-Fire I 2006, fine silver Ayawind II, 2005, Britannia silver

Miyabi-Fire V 2007, fine silver

Dual-Rivulet VIII, 2006, double-skinned, Britannia silver

“i am not just exploring artistic ideas. i couldn’t continue. i have to be professional. i don’t need to be very pure all the time”

Working from a flat sheet of silver instead of ‘raising’ and forming the shape of the vessel over a ‘stake’ or form, he hammers against the metal sheet with nothing behind it. The process was crucial for his early narrownecked vases which, because of the size of the apertures, could not be hammered over an existing form. Neither does he solder double skinned pieces because this would necessitate leaving a hole for the air to escape; instead he somewhat unconventionally welds the silver bowls together. Today Suzuki lives part of the year in Japan, where he is now professor at his alma mater , and part of the time in the UK. Originally he made all his pieces himself, working like a whirling dervish with extraordinary balletic skill, air-raising his work. Today, in London, he collaborates with William Lee who raises the initial, larger forms. These are made to Suzuki’s instructions, but are then modified and finished with the final textures hammered by Suzuki when he is in the UK. Today he does rather less

air-raising, as the surfaces he seeks have more extreme ridges and peaks and these require more support on the inside during the making process. The surfaces are carefully thought out, and Suzuki is reliant on his hammers neatly laid out around the studio. The

His early pieces at the RCA are more sculptural, asymmetrical and gentle. An example is a deflating copper ‘balloon’, the tiny neck aperture with a thin widened lip swells out onto a seemingly soft base. The surface has no texture apart from protuberances at the base and there are none of his later trademark ripples which become more obvious in Ayawind II (p.21). It seems like scored paper rather than silver – the sharp upward flowing peaks have a counterpoint in the more gentle horizontal wind lines. Aqua-PoesyVII (p.22) is what is now perceived as a classic Suzuki form – a traditional globular vase with deeply scoured sand ripples, each valley a softened haze of hammering. Dual-Rivulet VIII (p.21) is a double skinned bowl whose outer surface has strong sweeping diagonal lines dividing the chopped up water forms, each of which is textured by long thin hammer marks.

Suzuki has experimented briefly with gold, but now works almost exclusively in fine silver because of the flexibility it offers him. The majority of his pieces are in soft matt silver which, being ‘white’, emphasises the form of the vessel whereas a highly polished finish, being grey/ black, makes it disappear.

His brief experiment with the latter finish was much less successful and considerably less subtle.

in a position where I won’t just think re the market.” This pressure to produce has without doubt affected his output. His early narrownecked pieces were far more experimental. He attempted more challenging sculptural asymmetrical forms at the time of the Millennium in 2000 but bowed to commercial pressure and the requirements of collectors.

Whilst recognising their importance he says “I hate commissions”. Indeed his solutions to some of the more adventurous commissions, such as his candlesticks for the Duke of Devonshire, seem less edgy and less resolved. But Suzuki is torn between the differing requirements of an artisan and an artist. “I am not just exploring artistic ideas. I couldn’t continue. I have to be professional. I don’t need to be very pure all the time. Professionalism matters, people think an artist is pure and not professional. An artisan has good skills and knows how to use it for money; an artist is good at ideas and not at marketing. I have to be balanced. It’s not just art or making money.

seeming spontaneity of his silver surfaces spring from a highly organised environment. Over the years his forms have become larger, more open, and more vessel-like.

“People like the classic forms with heavy ridging. My early pieces were sculptural but they weren’t popular, but now I want to change and I will. I will explore something else. I am now

I have to express an idea but also materialise it. In Japan silversmithing is less a business. Professionalism is a restriction on your creativity, and I have to produce a lot.” His output has been considerable as was evident in his retrospective. He is in a groove – producing pieces for collectors and museums in the United States and Europe, though rarely in Japan.

“Each one of my traditional pieces is different, not exactly the same. I try something different on each one. My work

is based on how deep you get into the material. With age and experience that changes. I no longer have the same physical power, but I have experience. I would like to refine my work. I am not a fashion or graphic designer.

I don’t need to keep changing; my work is a lifetime job. We need to learn for a longer time. We need technique and experience not just for one or two years. Craft needs longer training and making.”

He is, however, enjoying teaching in Japan, seeing it as a turning point in his life. “It is totally different. Students bring new ideas. I am inspired

by their creativity and questioning. It has brought me new ways of thinking that I can apply to my own work. I am learning more than I am teaching. They push me and it’s not comfortable.” Perhaps this stimulus will push Suzuki to new developments away from his more commercial work. Whilst he is unlikely to join the silversmiths interested in expressing radical ideas through silver, it will perhaps take his tremendous silversmithing skills and his knowledge of materials into new areas and, possibly, into more challenging new forms.

Seductions, 1998, Britannia silver Figure B – Venus II 2000, fine silver

Aqua-Poesy V, 2005, Britannia silver

Aqua-Poesy VII, 2007, fine silver

Earth-Reki III, 2009, fine silver

“ i knew nothing about business organisation and ignorance was bliss”

paul podolsky:

a life in jewellery

Paul Podolsky’s career in jewellery spans over 70 years. A liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, he has worked both behind the bench and the executive’s desk, served in senior positions on almost all of the country’s major trade bodies and his Cv is littered with awards. After such an active working life he might be expected to retire quietly from the industry, but, in between drawing and painting, he still works on private commissions and is well known for championing the cause of design and craft education for jewellers. his next appointment after being interviewed for this article was in hatton Garden, to buy bullion for a ring he was making. his passion for jewellery is perhaps not surprising, given his upbringing. the son of Ukrainian parents who had moved to the UK in 1915, his father, eyna Podolsky, had built up a successful fine jewellery business in Charles street (now Greville street), hatton Garden. As a boy,

By Eleni Bide

Paul made friends with the large team of diamond mounters, setters and apprentices and he learnt to make tools, to melt scrap and to operate machinery. initially he had no intention of joining the family business, and, hoping to pursue a career in art, he obtained employment at a commercial art studio when he left school in 1939. however at the outbreak of war the studio closed down, and he joined the Charles street workshop, where he started making wedding rings and gradually learnt to produce the fine diamond and and ignorance was bliss”. in the harsh post-war climate, which included a punitive purchase tax

on jewellery, the firm was forced to change direction by producing cheaper, 9ct gold items and acquiring the jewellery sections of the large manufacturers Blanckensee and Albion Chain. however Paul continued his father’s tradition of training apprentices to the same exacting standards. he has trained 10 apprentices during his career, firmly believing the craft needs technical expertise to survive. initially unable to afford a professional designer, he designed the firm’s products himself, using the drawing skills he first nurtured as a teenager. h owever he found the conventional styles which were popular somewhat uninspiring, and he looked for opportunities to develop more interesting ideas. in 1964 he entered the inaugural d e Beers competition for diamond engagement rings, and won a first prize. Another d e Beers award came in 1966, and during this time he also became involved in numerous initiatives to promote design within the trade, including heading up the designers’ section of the British Jewellers Association. Although his efforts to introduce innovation usually led to business success, there were some wrong turns; he remembers attempting to promote a new range of betrothal rings for men in the 1970s, resulting in widespread astonishment and a humorous piece on BBC news. Nowadays the idea would scarcely raise an eyebrow.

throughout his life Paul has always been willing to become involved with initiatives to support the craft, and, among many other roles, has served as President of the British Jewellery and Giftware Federation and as Chairman of the Goldsmiths’ Craft and design Council. in all his roles his overriding concern has been to drive home the importance of good technical and design education, which began with representing the BJA at the Central school of Art in 1952. his persistence is evident in the fate of the first ever Garrard gold medal for services to the trade which he received in 1987. in 2007 he donated the 22ct gold medal to the GC&dC, and it became the emblem for the Podolsky Award. e stablished in honour of his father, the award supports young

craftspeople and designers showing outstanding potential in silversmithing and jewellery. when asked about the sometimes tricky balance between his two passions, art and craftsmanship, he is adamant that jewellers should feel confident about the artistic credentials of their genre, and he recalls the impression made on him by a beautiful drawing of a chalice

in the victoria and Albert museum. on examining the label he found it was by the celebrated renaissance painter holbein – proof, if it were needed, that the best metalwork can be regarded as fine art.

his years of accumulated experience mean that now Paul Podolsky is asked to give lectures to young craftspeople, and he is not shy about sharing his mistakes as well as his successes. But in challenging times his example is certainly an important one. he has shown the value of adaptability, talent and a dedication to high standards even in the worst conditions. these qualities, combined with a willingness to give back to the trade which nurtured him, mark him out as one of its outstanding figures.

Necklace, 1947-48, set with diamonds, sapphires and rubies, by E. Podolsky

© V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Design for a brooch, circa 1939, by Paul Podolsky

Paul Podolsky, circa 1964

Diamond engagement ring, 1964, by Paul Podolsky

Richard Valencia

tomRucker

By Sally Dodson

I first came across Tom Rucker’s work three years ago. I had never met him and assumed that the man in his thirties who called himself master goldsmith and ‘Mr Laser’ might perhaps be a little arrogant and his work would not live up to his talk. My hasty judgements could not have been further from the truth. Tom is a patient, unassuming and calm character and is an absolute pleasure to work with. On paper he describes his work with justifiable confidence but in person his quiet and friendly nature disguises his frenetic but

like the galaxies and space that inspire him, tom has crash landed on the london jewellery scene like an alien spaceship bringing new forms and a strange technology

dedicated working life. Like many jewellers, Tom makes fantastic creations using platinum and precious stones but what sets his work apart is its structure. New technology allows Tom to create truly unique

forms. I have often seen jewellery which is described as original but, if you look back in history, you will find that most jewellery is based on age-old ideas. However Tom’s inspiration is 20th century architecture and his tool of choice is a machine which was not available until the late 1990s; his work really does stand out from the crowd.

In press stories about Tom, the text usually concentrates on his specialist techniques and his awards. From my perspective, having not discovered Tom before Goldsmiths’ Fair in 2007, I was intrigued to find out how he made such an impact. Like the galaxies and space that inspire him, Tom has crash landed on the London jewellery scene like an alien spaceship bringing new forms and a strange technology. When I see work by fine jewellers I have a sense of their background and how their work has developed. Typically I would have seen earlier work at degree shows or as ‘masterpieces’ made at the end of an apprenticeship. Additionally, when you

examine a piece of fine jewellery – even if you have no experience of jewellery making yourself – you can imagine the processes which were involved in making the piece. However, when I first saw a piece of jewellery by Tom, I was stumped. When he explained how it was made, I was in awe. Wanting to learn a little more about the man behind the machine, I met up with him and we discussed his childhood, education, inspirations, aspirations and working life.

Tom Rucker was literally born to be a goldsmith –in 1970 to a family of jewellers in the Munich suburb of Ottobrunn. Growing up he was never pressured to become part of the family business but he was inspired by the work that he saw his father making and by the tender age of eight he had started to experiment and play with metals. At fifteen he had to start thinking about career choices. His first instinct was to become an architect – he had always been fascinated by complex structures of buildings by architects such as Buckminster Fuller. However,

he admits he was not a natural academic and so this did not seem the best choice. Instead, a love of materials, form and creation naturally led Tom to a career in which he could excel – after all he had the example of the three generations before him. “Jewellery is architecture on a smaller scale. What I do is not much different to buildings – and like buildings what I create has to fit in its environment”.

Tom was already fairly skilled before he went to the Luisenschule School of Jewellery and so had found an outlet where he could be top of the class. The work itself was relatively easy for Tom so he set a challenge to himself to be always the best. After school, Tom attended the HBZ (Das Handwerkskammer Bildungszentrum Münster) to complete his Master of Arts. Here his work was always different from that of his contemporaries. He made collections that were kinetic and included ball bearings sourced from a specialist medical supplier. I was now beginning to learn that Tom never settled for the norm.

At this time, in 1994, Tom heard that a manufacturer was planning to design a laser welder. In his bid always to be different and to push the boundaries, Tom saw in this machine an opportunity to lead his work into an entirely new field. Using money he received from selling his ‘masterpiece’ he had, by 1995, the funds to purchase one of the first laser welding machines specially designed for the jewellery trade. At that time there were no courses or workshops he could attend to learn how to use it, so he practiced and, by trial and error with different alloys and techniques, he started to develop the pieces for which he is known today.

That same company also sold a laser welder to the Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre (JIIC) at Birmingham City University. By then Tom had three years’ experience of using the welder so he was an obvious choice when the company was approached by JIIC to suggest someone who could teach laser welding. This was such a new technology that very few people knew how to

use the lasers successfully and resources were limited.

In 1997 Gay Penfold at UCE was instrumental in bringing Tom to the UK and hiring him, on a freelance basis, to lead workshops and short courses on how to use the machine. Gay recalled how popular the courses were. Hitherto, laser welders had only been used to repair jewellery and to fix problems in cast items. A machine which had originally been developed for the dental industry was mainly used for very functional purposes. However, under Tom’s tutelage, students were introduced to ways in which the laser could be used for creative projects. This was a hectic time for Tom as he was flying between Birmingham and Munich, teaching at the university and running his own business back home.

tom saw in this machine an opportunity to lead his work into an entirely new field

He remembered it fondly and expressed his gratitude to Gay for his introduction to the UK. She also has happy memories of that time –she recalled that Tom had become friends with the other tutors and, as a result, they all wanted to teach in the same week. Together with Tom, the sculptor

Geo Galactica ring, 2009, platinum, pavé set brilliant cut diamonds (natural fancy grey) Hanover Saffron for PGI UK

Tom Rucker

Geo Crystalball earrings, 2009, platinum, laser set rose cut diamonds (white) Hanover Saffron for PGI UK

Julian Cross, the US based metalsmith Phil Poirier and platinum expert Juergen Maerz, Gay formed a close knit group based particularly on their social ‘cooking’ evenings and they are still in contact today. By 2004, these friendships, and an even closer one with his English girlfriend, persuaded Tom to make the jump and to settle in the UK.

Tom based his business in a studio at Yorkshire Artspace in Sheffield and for the next few years he developed his work and started to build up a UK client base. His own laser welder was still in Germany but Ashley Carson gave him the freedom to use the one at Sheffield Assay Office, for which he is still very grateful.

Tom described the jewellery which he made before he started to use laser welding as “quite commercial” and commented that the range he made in his early days was never as popular as his laser welded creations. But throughout his studies and professional life he has always aspired to create something different.

Tom advised his students “Don’t blend in with the jewellery trade or you won’t survive”. He also urged his students to take their inspiration from the world around them, not from their own trade. For his own inspiration Tom looks to nature, technology and space. When you see his work it may not be a surprise to discover that the area of Ottobrunn has long been associated with technological companies and is currently the home to EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company).

To make a name for himself in the UK, Tom applied for several awards and started to gain some industry recognition.

He won a gold medal at the quadrennial Benvenuto Cellini Competition, the Lonmin Design Innovation Award three times, and several awards from the Goldsmiths’ Crafts and Design Council, including the Technological Innovation Award. He applied to Goldsmiths’ Fair in 2007 and was offered a stand. Shortly before the fair took place, Tom’s relationship with his

girlfriend ended and he was, in fact, thinking of returning to Germany. However, he had such a successful time at the Fair that he was kept busy with commissions for the next twelve months. Here at the Goldsmiths’ Company, whilst we appreciated and admired his work, we never thought that he would take off so quickly. It can take some time for designer-makers to establish their reputation but Tom was an exception. By 2008 Tom realised that all of his clients were UK based and he decided to stay in this country but to move down to London. Tom has loved the last two years living in the capital. It is a very convenient place for him to be, close to his clients, but also he loves the ‘multiculturalness’ of it. London is now his inspiration. At weekends he likes to wander around with a camera. His favourite areas are Brick Lane, Docklands and the City – he especially likes to sit by the Swiss Re ‘Gherkin’ building just to look up at it. He takes thousands of photos. The work of architect Norman Foster (himself a student of Buckminster Fuller) is his latest inspiration. Tom frequently flies home to Munich to visit his parents. As someone who seems to owe a great deal to his upbringing, the local environment and education,

I was surprised to learn that Tom prefers London to his home city. I discovered that it is first and foremost his family who draw him back to Munich. Or, as Tom more succinctly puts it, “business in London, family in Munich”. Tom’s current jewellery creations are the result of a long-standing traditional goldsmithing heritage combined with over fifteen years’ research and experimentation with new technology. His creations have not just appeared, they are born from his expert skills acquired through many years of hard graft. During this time he developed a special 95% platinum alloy, that allows him to weld his pieces successfully using wire as thin as 0.2mm This ensures that the finished piece can be quite light but the structure is still strong enough to withstand daily wear. Using platinum allows for many joins to be made very close together. In layman’s terms the laser creates a narrow burst of very intense heat and, if aimed at two pieces held together, will melt them at that point forming a bond. Platinum diffuses the heat less than other precious metals, therefore joins can be made closer together. In addition it allows precious stones to be incorporated into the design because the heat will not be transferred from the metal and cause

damage to the stone. Incidentally Tom is also a qualified gemmologist and diamond expert. All of the tiny pieces of wire, joined at different angles, catch the light beautifully giving the jewellery an unusual sparkling effect. Work on such a minute scale can only be done by looking through a microscope using a laser welder. Tom comments that “Laser welding has a ridiculous strain on body and soul” which might sound overly dramatic until you realise that his GeoGeosphere necklace is comprised of over 700,000 laser joins. The repetition can be difficult to cope with physically and mentally and, like any repetitive activity, using a laser welder so intensively can lead to muscle damage.

Earlier this year Tom celebrated his fortieth birthday and this landmark seems to have triggered a change in his outlook. Last year he took a holiday for the first time in several years. The man who described himself as going through life like a rocket now admits that he needs to level out and cruise at altitude for a while. Reaching to where he is today has not been without problems – “To achieve such skills is the result of working extremely hard. I have been so focused on my trade that I forgot to live.” So Tom

tells me that he is taking it easier this year, looking after himself. I am not entirely sure that I believe him. A recent holiday to South Africa has sparked his enthusiasm for a new project. Tom tells me that his future plans are to make bigger creations and sculptural pieces utilising his laser welding technique (that he has called GEO.2) with platinum and diamonds. His rings currently are already quite large and there is a limit to how much one can wear on one’s finger –so his next step is to go away from the body. “But what about your jewellery?” I cry. “Well I’ll still be making some jewellery” he says, “…after all I couldn’t bear to think that there might be women out there going without my creations.” For those who cannot survive without his creations check out the Company’s website www. whoswhoingoldandsilver.com or visit Tom at Goldsmiths’ Fair from 27 September to 10 October 2010.

tom advised his students

“ don’t blend in with the jewellery trade or you won’t survive”

Geo Sunburst pendant, 2009, platinum, pavé set brilliant cut diamonds (white) and South Sea pearl Hanover Saffron for PGI UK

Geo Supernova ring, 2008, 18ct gold, platinum, pavé and laser set brilliant cut diamonds (white and natural fancy yellow) Hanover Saffron for PGI UK

Geo Geosphere necklace, 2008, platinum Hanover Saffron for PGI UK

Pa LL a DIuM the new metal on the block

By David Beasley

Following extensive publicity and much anticipation, palladium entered the world of hallmarking on 1 January this year. its birth had a long gestation as it has been used in the jewellery industry since the late 1930s. however it

Palladium has now become an investment metal and is being traded on stock exchanges

is only recently that it has escaped its reputation as the poor relation of platinum to emerge as a precious metal in its own right. it was first discovered, or rather isolated from platinum and iridium, by the english chemist, william hyde wollaston, in July 1802 and in his notebook he had called it Ceresium. he changed his mind the following month when the name palladium was first mentioned –probably derived from the minor planet Pallas, discovered and named by the German astronomer heinrich olbers in march 1802. in an anonymous leaflet published and distributed in April 1803 this new noble metal was called Palladium or New silver. Fortunately for the jewellery trade the name of palladium prevailed over that of ceresium but it was not until February 1805 that wollaston publicly

acknowledged that he was the writer of the leaflet and therefore the discoverer of the new metal. its association with the platinum metals group, which included platinum, osmium and rhodium,

meant that it was mostly of secondary importance and until latterly had been used as an alloy to whiten gold. since 1939 it has been an alternative to platinum (because it is slightly whiter and much lighter) due to its naturally white properties and therefore having no need for rhodium plating. however, unlike gold and platinum, it had not ever been hallmarked. like all precious metals it is not commonly found or particularly easy to mine once discovered. ore deposits of palladium and other platinum group metals are found in the transvaal in south Africa, in the Norilsk Complex in Russia, in montana in the

United states of America

and in the sudbury district of ontario in Canada.

the latter two mines provide annually about 10% of the world’s mined production. the recycling of palladium, mostly from scrapped catalytic converters, can produce the equivalent amount as demonstrated recently by stillwater mining in montana in the first quarter of 2010. Russia and south Africa produce the most palladium and they account for well over 80% of world production. interestingly the Russian metal conglomerate, Norilsk Nickel, which produces all of Russia’s mined palladium, also now owns over 50% of stillwater mining. Palladium has now become an investment metal and is being traded on stock exchanges in vehicles called exchange traded funds (etFs) which link it with other commodity prices and also with gold, silver and platinum. in mid-may etF holdings of palladium were 24% of annual

production. the current economic crisis worldwide has led to increased volatility in both the currency and stock markets which has led investors and speculators to seek more stable investments; this in turn has caused the price of precious metals to shoot up. the growth of China as an economic power has led to increased consumer demand for consumer goods internally and it was perceived in the west that palladium was commonly used for jewellery in China as it was white and considerably more economical to market than platinum. it is the least dense, and has the lowest melting point, of the platinum group of metals and is soft and ductile when annealed. its strength and hardness is increased greatly when it is cold-worked. Although it does react with oxygen to form a thin oxide film at low temperatures, the film can be removed by heating at high temperatures. it will not generally tarnish in everyday use. these properties make it highly desirable as a material for jewellery provided that it is not perceived as a poor substitute for platinum.

Jewellers and silversmiths have found it liberating to be able to add to their stock another metal with particular qualities which can be utilised in bolder and larger pieces that would be too heavy and too expensive to produce in platinum. stephen webster, the international jeweller, presented a stunning hair ornament in palladium as early as January last year for the Global luxury Forum in moscow which was cosponsored by Norilsk Nickel. Cartier has used palladium in its limited edition line of watches santos mysterieuse which are set in a palladium housing and inlaid with diamonds. e xhibitors at Goldsmiths’ Fair are seeing an increased interest from visitors who are indicating a growing awareness of the metal with its clean, white contemporary feel. Jeweller elizabeth Bone reports that she had an enquiry for platinum or palladium earrings as long ago as 2007. the clients then went quiet for two years but subsequently came back to her

for something for a 35th wedding anniversary. they chose a design from silver items on elizabeth’s website and, after some quick investigative work, her quotation was accepted. soldering is a critical aspect of her work because of her designs and she had a productive conversation with Jack willingham from Johnson matthey regarding palladium solders whilst attending the palladium event at Goldsmiths’ hall in April 2009. he recommended the Pallabraze alloys and she has never looked back.

Palladium wears similarly to platinum and has a very similar colour. At last year’s Goldsmiths’ Fair, earrings made specifically for the fair sold as a result of publicity generated by increased interest in this ‘new’ metal and the new palladium hallmark. it certainly appeals to a younger audience and retailers are finding a surprising interest from men – particularly those who would like a chunky, and slightly heavier, white wedding ring but are not prepared to pay the higher premium which platinum would command.

silversmiths are also feeling their way gingerly into this new market. one client had been badgering Gareth harris for months to make him a tumbler cup in palladium so that it could have the new hallmark on it in 2009. At long last he has got it and is very proudly drinking from it on every possible occasion. some smiths have even changed their names to show their affiliation to the new metal. tom John has made a beautiful bowl with the leopard’s head in the centre from palladium for the Goldsmiths’ Company’s collection and is now calling himself a platinumsmith. i doubt that we shall see the word palladiumsmith ever being used but the metal itself will, i hope, continue to inspire the imaginations of our jewellers and platinumsmiths and may, in time, perhaps supersede white gold at least as the metal of choice for jewellery lovers worldwide.

Palladium earrings, 2009, by Elizabeth Bone Joel Degen Goldsmiths’

Portrait of John Wollaston by John Jackson

Palladium folded drop earrings, 2010, by Elizabeth Bone Joel Degen

Contemporary silver increasingly refl ects the personalities of its makers and is a key element in its attraction to patrons

gordon hamme

& the meteoric British Silver Week

By David Beasley

celebrated for one day (Brett had won the major prize). From this conversation British Silver Week was born – and they are both still arguing today about who came up with the idea to make it happen in Britain!

The driving force behind British Silver Week is former Exchange Findings co-owner and trade magazine publisher, Gordon Hamme. Speaking to him on the telephone as he headed to Sheffield to promote the week, I learned more about this extraordinarily charismatic businessman. Having left school in 1975, Gordon initially worked in a retail jeweller in Wembley and then several jewellery stores after that. He and his wife, Angela, had since their schooldays together harboured ambitions of setting up their own jewellery business, which they did, until the recession hit in the early 1980s. At that point Angela went to work for Charles Cooper, a tools and

machinery supply company, in Hatton Garden, which sold to manufacturers throughout the UK and the world. She started up their ‘findings’ department – to supply to the trade those small jewellery components, such as catches and butterfly clips, which are an essential part of jewellery manufacture. When the firm changed ownership, she developed the idea of the ‘one-stopshop’ with Gordon and they wrote the business plan for Exchange Findings, adding a bullion supply element to it. From 1984 to 1996, the firm expanded to a staff of 35 people, based in three sites in London and Birmingham, with an annual turnover of £11m. However the bullion side was always a tricky one to manage, particularly in 1995 when two unexpected bad debts were incurred.

Although they tried to sell just this part of the business, they were surprised when Cookson Precious Metals offered to buy the whole company, to employ all the staff and directors and to put into place an aggressive European expansion plan.

In 1999, after leaving Cookson Precious Metals, Gordon developed a dot.com business plan with a colleague, to provide an internet based jewellery portal and database of information for the trade, which was called J-DEX .COM (Jewellery Directory and Exchange).

Although it did meet a need, Gordon felt that the trade needed to understand better the possibilities of the internet and he turned to print to evangelise his ideas.

In 2000, J-DEX MAGAZINE entered the scene as one of the new trade papers which took a view of the trade from the bench, manufacturer and retailer and promoted,

surreptitiously, the internet, which he soon realised was a mission too far. Perhaps a little less polished than the elegant and grammatical prose of its rivals, it nevertheless soon established itself as a readable and entertaining publication which was full of information about the trade and its members. In 2008 it was rebranded as The Goldsmith and it is still very much one of the papers to read to learn about what is happening in the jewellery trade. From their earliest days of Exchange Findings, Gordon and Angela visited Goldsmiths’ Fair to see and talk to their customers and became interested in the craftsmanship and design of the contemporary British silversmiths. Their first purchase was an enamelled dish by Phil Barnes – and from then on they became committed supporters. Talking to Gordon it was apparent that he understood the difficulties of these talented people for whom marketing and selling were often a mystery. Years later, in 2007 in one of many conversations with his friend, the silversmith, Brett Payne, they were discussing a concept from the Netherlands (which Gordon translated as ‘Dutch National Day for Beautiful Silver’) when silver was

At a serendipitous meeting with Paul Dyson, the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Promotions Director, at the September Earls Court Fair shortly afterwards, Gordon explained their concept. This led to an immediate offer of support and the use of Goldsmiths’ Hall for a day (9 June 2008) on which to launch this exciting new initiative. Bowled over by this enthusiastic response, Gordon, with Brett and Judy Head, set about making it happen. Retail shops and galleries were canvassed, and their support won; silversmiths were signed up; and branding and stationery was designed and made ready by the following month. Silversmiths were then linked up with the retailers and, with good publicity in top magazines and newspapers, including the Financial Times and the BBC, garnered by the unstinting PR efforts of Pamela Willson, the show was on the road from 9 June 2008 with 23 selling events around the UK.

This first year was billed as part of the ‘renaissance of British silversmithing’ and concentrated on the product itself and, for the second year, this theme was reinforced. Through the generosity of their new patron, the Duke of Devonshire, it also featured a major exhibition at Chatsworth, which was seen by 40,000 people. Gordon

encouraged many younger silversmiths to be brought into the week in its second year and was thrilled by the wide range of objects on offer. He is the first to admit that he has had tremendous support from the Goldsmiths’ Company as lead Patron in terms of funding and also, as important, moral support from the Clerk, Dick Melly and Paul Dyson.

sculptural, decorative and functional items which refl ect their own tastes and lifestyle. Silversmiths are fortunate to have, in Gordon Hamme, a dedicated and enthusiastic advocate who is tireless in his efforts to reinvigorate their trade and to promote their undoubted skills –allied always with good business sense.

The third year’s events, which open on 7 June, were highlighted at the press launch on 27 April at the Pangolin Gallery near King’s Cross and will draw in more than 100 silversmiths to over 15 selling exhibitions across the UK. A slight change in approach has been the identifi cation of three young silversmiths – Olivia Lowe, Theresa Nguyen and Clare Ransom – as ambassadors of the vibrant silversmithing scene presented at these venues. Contemporary silver increasingly refl ects the personalities of its makers and is a key element in its attraction to patrons.

Clients are not looking to set a whole table with silver but to acquire outstanding

The press launch for British Silver Week at the Pangolin Gallery on 27 April

Con brio 2010, Britannia silver, by Theresa Nguyen, one of the ambassadors for British Silver Week

Clarissa Bruce

Gordon Hamme

Stephen Brayne

Stephen Brayne

From casemaker to colourist Shepherd family watercolours

By Luke Schrager, freelance researcher

In the course of research David Beasley, the Company’s Librarian, found, among the works of art relating to the second Goldsmiths’ Hall (demolished in 1829) two watercolours by members of the Shepherd family. The first is of part of the interior courtyard by George Shepherd (fl. 1800–1830), and the second is of the exterior by his son, Thomas Hosmer Shepherd (1792–1864). For economic reasons many topographical views were commissioned with a specific purpose in mind. The exterior view of Goldsmiths’ Hall by T. H. Shepherd may be just such a case as it was illustrated in Metropolitan Improvements;orLondon intheNineteenthCentury (1830). The view of the interior courtyard, however, was not published. The origin of the George Shepherd image is therefore more of a mystery. In the London Metropolitan Archives there are a

number of images of the interiors of Livery Halls by Shepherd in a similar style to the Goldsmiths’ Company example. They illustrate the Barber Surgeons’ Hall, the Vintners’ Hall, and the Stationers’ Hall and it is plausible to suggest that Shepherd produced these as part of a series of which only part survives. However, further research in the archives revealed a significant link between the Shepherd family and the Company which has not been previously noted in the literature about this important family of artists. It was both a surprise and an excitement to discover that a George Shepherd was apprenticed to Joseph Morecock ‘to learn his art of a watchcase maker’ on 1 July 1772. He took up his freedom on 7 June 1780 when he was recorded as living in Fans Alley, Aldersgate Street. However, George Shepherd’s posthumous reputation is quite rightly based not on his training and practice as

a watchcase maker but on his considerable talent as an artist. It is likely, however, that he did practise the trade taught him by Morecock, a known watchcase maker, because, on 5 March 1780, an apprentice, Joseph West, was bound to him. Furthermore, in the baptismal records of his first three children, Shepherd was listed as a watchcase maker. It is not certain when Shepherd became a fulltime artist but in 1800 he submitted his first entries to the Royal Academy.

(watchcase maker), that I was able to make the link between the father and son and establish the undoubted connection to the famous family of watercolour artists. George Shepherd created a further link between his family and the Goldsmiths’ Company when he applied for charitable funds to pay for his son’s apprenticeship. The money was provided by the Goldsmiths’ Company from bequests made in the wills of John Smith and Francis Ash to ‘put two sons of Freemen of London using

George shepherd was apprenticed to Joseph morecock ‘to learn his art of a watchcase maker’

It is probable that George Shepherd was still practising as a watchcase maker in 1807 because he was described as such in the indenture of his son. It was through this particular record, which named Thomas Hosmer Shepherd’s father, George, and his trade

trade there for seven years or longer’. George Shepherd obviously knew about this financial resource because a previous recipient had been his own apprentice, Joseph West. He applied for this grant to ensure that his own son was trained in the same branch of the goldsmiths’

trade as he had been. However both were destined to become more famous for their watercolours rather than for their watchcases.

T. H. Shepherd’s surviving watercolours date from 1809, and he did not claim his freedom of the Goldsmiths’ Company. He could have done this either by token of his service, having completed his indentured term of apprenticeship, or by patrimony, as he was entitled to through his father’s membership.

It is, of course, possible that his apprenticeship might have been nominal or that, two years after the commencement of his apprenticeship in 1807, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and to make painting his future fulltime career and therefore opted not to serve his full term.

It is not known as yet precisely how or when the two watercolours were acquired by the Company. However, given these

recently discovered links between the Shepherd family and the Company, it is an intriguing possibility that the earlier watercolour of the interior courtyard of the second Hall might have been the gift of the father to the Company in recognition and gratitude for its funding of his son’s artisan training.

Watercolour of the interior courtyard of the second Goldsmiths’ Hall, undated, signed ‘G.Shepherd’

Coloured engraving of the second Goldsmiths’ Hall by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd from Metropolitan Improvements… (1830)

Life and after-life Philip Strelley

At the annual church service for the changeover of the wardens in mid-may, there is a list printed on the back of the order of service which picks out the principal benefactors of the Company. one name, strelley, has always intrigued me because the objects of his charitable donations are still very much in tune with the Company’s today, even though the funds have been subsumed into the general charity. three aspects are of particular relevance: concern for maimed and injured soldiers; higher education, i.e. bursaries to university; and grants to purchase tools or the wherewithal to set up in business. the surprising element of this charity was that it was established in 1603 following the death of Philip strelley, a london goldsmith, who lived a few doors away from the hall in Foster l ane in the parish of st John Zachary. who was this Philip strelley and can the Company’s records offer any insight into the reason for these unusual bequests? it is possible to provide some answers to the first question but not to the second. it is not known why he died but it does appear that he was relatively young. married to ellen but without issue, or none who were

By David Beasley

alive, he was outlived by his father, henry, a goldsmith, and a number of his siblings, including Ralph and George, also goldsmiths.

Apart from Ralph all his other siblings were under the age of majority which suggests that Philip was perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties. the earliest record of him being a freeman occurs in 1595 when he took on the first of three apprentices – John Catchmay – who received £10 in the will. in 1602 strelley was elected to the livery and was listed as the seventh of 18 new members. if listed in order of seniority according to the date of their freedom, it would suggest that strelley was made a freeman in 1593, probably by patrimony. All his apprentices were turned over to other masters at his death but not to his brother, Ralph, who was made a freeman in 1599, nor to his father, henry, also a goldsmith. this might indicate that neither was living in london. if his will is used as evidence, it reveals a store of facts and glimpses of his life. the gift of money for bread for poor parishioners of st. swithin’s in the county of worcester ‘wherein i was born’ was to be given out weekly on a sunday.

his father’s presence in worcester was noted in the minutes on 11 october 1571 – and on another occasion it was stated that he had been in worcester for some ten years. Perhaps this was the time when Philip was born. Further enquiries at st swithin’s Church might reveal both henry’s marriage and Philip’s birth. Family ties were evident in several provincial towns and counties from bequests in the will – worcester (william walton, his uncle), Gloucester (John walton, another uncle), and derbyshire. in the detailed arrangements for the inheritance of the estate of oakerthorpe, most of his immediate family were mentioned and the order of precedence began with his wife, ellen, his father henry, then his brother Ralph – to be followed by other brothers and then cousins. he gave over £260 in cash for gifts of money, silver (bowls and spoons), and gold chains. two cousins, Francis Grymston and elizabeth Constable, each received £40 for a gold chain.

According to the will, the finers (refiners) in the Company were to be present at the distribution of his gift and it is suspected that strelley was possibly one of a number of influential and prosperous refiners who had gathered around the area of the hall and included

people such as simon owen, sir John wollaston, Francis Ash and Robert Jenner. wollaston, Ash and Jenner all donated money to the Company in their wills. it is not clear whether strelley had inherited money from relatives or amassed it through trade. he had been a parishioner of st martin Pommery in ironmonger l ane but was in Foster l ane by the late 1590s. such was the complex nature of the will and its provisions that the Company took several months to decide whether or not to act as trustees. the disbursement of various sums of money was dependent on the receipt of rental income from the estate of oakerthorpe which, annually, was £55. After much consultation it was decided to accept it –perhaps because there were benefits to the Company in the form of £8 annually for poor workmen free of the Company, a gift of plate worth £10 and £5 annually to the wardens for their troubles. Poor maimed soldiers received £10 and the poor of the parish of st. John Zachary £2. Both the apprentice money (two boys at £10 each) and the university exhibitions (two scholars at £5 each) were to benefit boys local to derby, Nottingham and worcester or his estate, with a preference to those bearing his name or the sons of tenants on his estate. Quite what his loyalty was to these towns and this estate is as yet unclear.

Following the trail of the trustees’ troubles and

travails over the bequest through the records, one can see why there were concerns at the beginning. Non–payment of rent was the start, and the Company was in continuous contact with Ralph strelley, Philip’s brother, after he succeeded to the lease in the 1620s. eventually payments became more regular in the 1630s only to fall away again in the early 1640s with the unrest caused by the Civil war and further taxation. in 1638 the number of poor and maimed soldiers seeking relief was such that even after distributing funds to 60 persons, some 20 remained unsatisfied. the trustees decided thereafter to limit the numbers to a maximum of 40 persons. with regard to the exhibitions at oxford and Cambridge, applications came mostly from the sons of clergy and there are significant gaps in communication when the trustees were not sure whether the chosen scholars had left the university to seek a preferment or were still being educated there. the grants to apprentices were also something of a minefield because the £10 went to his master to hold for the duration of the boy’s

set up in trade. what was it in strelley’s life which had encouraged him to make this grant a part of his will? the same might be said of the oxbridge exhibitions.

Further research is necessary to flesh out the character of this donor whose generosity has ensured that his name lives on in the Goldsmiths’ Company’s roll of honour. But even if his story is incomplete, it has a powerful resonance with the Company’s history of charitable giving, reflecting its broad range of interests and its need for constant vigilance to ensure that these historic donations had successful outcomes.

such was the complex nature of the will and its provisions that the Company took several months to decide whether or not to act as trustees

indentured term. Bonds had to be procured and signed so that the money was genuinely turned over to the young man to help him

Detail of a page from the second volume of the Register of Deeds relating to Strelley’s will and its bequests

A rough sketch of Strelley’s shield and crest (top right) from his spout pot, remade in 1664, which was sold in 1667

A rubbing of the arms of Robert Strelley (bottom left) from his gift, a spout pot, taken in 1637 prior to its sale

Valencia

Valencia

an assistant clerk’s view

So, what exactly is a livery company? A question we have all heard countless times, and one for which a succinct reply is frequently elusive. There is widespread ignorance about the work of livery companies – where I come from in Somerset, Livery is associated with horses, and Freemen are confused with Freemasonry with a presumption of arcane rituals and quirky handshakes. So when I became aware, as I approached the end of my naval career in 2000, that the Goldsmiths’ Company was seeking an Assistant Clerk, I found myself posing the question to the husband of a close friend of my wife, by the name of Stuart Devlin – a fortuitous choice of informant as I quickly found out! Apart from his wealth of knowledge and his widely acclaimed talent, it was Stuart’s passion for the Company and for the craft which played a large part in my determining to apply for the post.

I approached the job with some apprehension, being uncertain how my skills as a naval aviator would play out in the more cultural environment of design and craftsmanship. There are certain similarities between

the disparate worlds of the Royal Navy and the Goldsmiths; both have a long and distinguished heritage, both combine the best of tradition and innovation, and both strive for the maintenance of quality. But there the similarities end and, as someone having no aptitude or knowledge relating to the craft, and no predecessor from whom to glean the essentials of the job, there was much to learn from the outset.

On arrival at Goldsmiths’ Hall, the most striking (and refreshing) difference from my life before the mast, was the wide diversity of those who make up the Company. In place of the uniformity and predictability of one’s Service masters and colleagues, one was introduced to a colourful human kaleidoscope: an eclectic mix of personality, background and talent, but with an underlying unity of passion for all that the Company espouses. The friendliness and support with which I was immediately surrounded was overwhelming. Along with the variety of personalities, it was the extraordinary range of activities in which the Company is engaged which impressed me. Its support

By Warren Benbow

for the craft was much more comprehensive than I had appreciated and continued to burgeon during my time at the Hall, culminating in the launch of the Goldsmiths’ Centre project. Being irrevocably non-trade, it was a privilege to be able to dip a toe into the cultural waters of the goldsmith’s craft, and to experience at first hand a sense of the prodigious skill and application of the craftsmen and women involved. I delighted at their willingness to explain the intricacies of their work to me, always in simple terms and always with a refreshing absence of arrogance (not always the case in other artistic fields). I particularly enjoyed my avuncular, occasionally headmasterly, role in shepherding the Company’s young apprentices. The freedom ceremony at the end of their three–five year apprenticeship was for me the most pleasurable aspect of the Company’s calendar.

was heartening to see how much these high quality individuals could achieve with our comparatively modest support, to the benefit of so many disadvantaged children. Another undoubted highlight was administering the Company’s membership, partly because it provided

that the Company is today in the hands of very capable members, and I have no qualms in claiming we are not only the largest, but also the most effective of the London livery companies.

I also had an ‘odd-job’ role fielding tasks that wiser members of staff had managed to avoid. One-off projects such as web sites, staff appraisals and

overall, i could not have asked for a more stimulating and rewarding second career

In the non-trade arena one of my personal highlights would have to include working with the primary schools which we were supporting through the Education Committee. The insight I gained into the dedication and commitment of the staff, in particular the head

an introduction to so many interesting people, and partly because one was able in a small way to influence the selection processes, introducing more openness and competition, and, hopefully, enhancing the overall quality of the membership. I feel confident

portraits provided scope for some lively exchanges of views which ensured that dull moments were few! And many routine responsibilities such as the wine cellar, the garden, the church services or musical impresario, provided an enjoyable garnish which

enhanced a thoroughly satisfying job.

Overall, I could not have asked for a more stimulating and rewarding second career.

In retirement I hope I can do more to spread the word about what a livery company is, and in particular about the passion, professionalism and talent that abounds within the Goldsmiths’ Company.

Warren Benbow at home on the sea – at the Great Twelve Sailing Challenge, 2008

Warren Benbow at home on the land – in the centre of events at a St. Paul’s Cathedral reception for Livery Companies and their choristers in September 2008

Written by Tony Bowen, Hallkeeper

pleaSe,

cameras rolling and action

By Tony Bowen

this was now a familiar cry heard on numerous occasions over the last few years as yet another scene from the latest screen or tv epic was being shot at Goldsmiths’ hall. the hall has been much sought after by film location managers. where on one site could one find a building which can represent so many backgrounds – from the banqueting rooms of Buckingham Palace to a Parisian gendarmerie? Could hollywood replicate such a site? i think not. the first major film to use the hall’s splendour in 1996 was evita, the film of eva Peron’s story starring madonna, Jonathan Pryce, Antonio Banderas and Jimmy Nail. the livery hall represented the Ballroom in the Presidential Palace in Buenos Aires. the result was the magnificent dance scene. there was, however, one obvious problem which was pointed out to Alan Parker, the director. “would not the portraits of Queen victoria, Prince Albert and Queen Adelaide, which hang very prominently in the livery hall, look odd in a palace in Buenos Aires?” “No one will even notice” he replied, and he was right – nobody did. madonna, when not filming, played the complete diva by locking herself away upstairs under the protection of her guards and arriving and leaving in a great flurry of

activity at the start and end of the day. this first letting of the hall for filming had proved extremely lucrative and was to prove so in the future. the die was cast. however it was not until 2002 that the hall was once more sought out for its splendour for the BBC’s tv film adaptation of George elliot’s novel daniel deronda, with a young actor, hugh dancy, in the leading role. the scene was the casino at monte Carlo, where the heroine, Gwendolen, played by Romola Garai, was attempting to restore her family fortunes at the roulette wheel. this required the livery hall to be set up as a casino with all the gambling paraphernalia. it was not light enough for the director’s taste so scaffolds of light were erected along the windows. this, however, was insufficient so a further bank of lights, as seen at football matches, was erected outside the windows in Gutter lane. it was at this point that difficulties of accommodating film crews with all their requirements became apparent. one electrician decided that he would off one of the spotlights on the minstrel’s gallery which was annoying director. Filming stopped for a short time while error of his way was out to him. No damage done – to him!

in 2002 the hall was featured as an opera house in an American detective series called Keen eddie the episode title, Achtung Baby, might indicate that it was not our finest hour.

it was a spoof of the British but we were assured it would never be seen on British tv so, at a particularly lucrative fee, it was considered a good deal. six months later it was screened on sky o ne. it was never repeated and was, thankfully, only seen by a very small audience.

the two banqueting scenes in the livery hall took the most time with the hall looking splendid with all the actors wearing period costume. the second day’s shooting was easily the most difficult. the scene was that of the King and Queen giving a dinner party, again in the livery hall. this time the director had asked that we the hall has been much sought after by film location managers

the lost Prince, the moving story of Prince John, the son of George v and Queen mary, followed in 2003. starring tom hollander, Bill Nighy, Frank Finlay and the late miranda Richardson, it was directed by BAF tA winner stephen Poliakoff who proved a demanding and eccentric individual. the filming took place over two days using all of the public rooms.

“ would not the portraits of Queen victoria, Prince Albert and Queen Adelaide, which hang very prominently in the livery hall, look odd in a palace in Buenos Aires?”

Prince

Scenes from Glorious 39

Scene from Glorious 39 starring Romola Garai and Bill Nighy

Laurie Sparham

helen mirren came from wardrobe through the main door dressed as the Queen. vic, the guard, leapt to his feet, put on his hat and saluted, convinced her majesty had arrived on a visit

cover the chandeliers in parachutes. it was wartime england and they wished to represent austerity. this was done, but he asked that the lights still be turned on. Not a problem, again we obliged. this scene took all day to shoot, only two actors spoke, repeating their lines over and over again. the end of the scene required the King to storm out of the room. he did so through the south livery door and straight into the drapers’ hall; very clever! At the end of shooting we removed the parachutes; unfortunately the candles had been left in and melted. Although no damage was done, cleaning took a while and a lesson was learnt.

Buckingham Palace was again depicted by the hall in the 2006 tv film theQueen, starring helen mirren, relating the events following Princess

diana’s tragic death. there had been some reservation about allowing the use of the hall for the film, thinking it may have given offence to the Royal Family. we were given the whole script to read and were assured that the Palace was aware of the film. the drawing Room was the main feature with shooting taking two days. the scene depicted the Queen addressing the nation from the Palace. A blue blank screen was placed behind ms mirren as the scene was shot. when shown, the blue screen became the mall as the back drop to the speech. on the first day of filming, helen mirren came from wardrobe through the main door dressed as the Queen. vic, the guard, leapt to his feet, put on his hat and saluted, convinced her majesty had arrived on a visit. helen mirren won the Best Actress award at the 79th oscars for her performance in this film. the next blockbuster to hit the hall was the da vinci Code Unusually it was not the inside of the hall that had caught the director’s eye but the outside, and it was the entrance of the Assay office in Gutter lane that was the centre of attention. the doorway became the entrance to a Parisian gendarmerie, complete with tricolor and two gendarmes. the lane was covered by a carpet with French road signs

and a couple of Citroens. At 6pm on the sunday the director, Ron howard, and entourage appeared. A short briefing ensued and French star Jean Reno, playing Captain Bezu Fache, was filmed in his car with the Assay office as background. the whole shot took 15 minutes. they had spent two days preparing and the whole scene appeared on screen for ten seconds and cost £10,000 – quite amazing! this was proving a busy year with our third film. the land of the Blind, a dark political satire starring donald sutherland, Ralph Fiennes and tom hollander, was based on several incidents throughout history of leaders being overthrown and replaced by even worse ones. the drawing Room replicated an extremely plush office of one of the dictators. Coincidentally, the hall’s florist at that time was mrs Caroline evans, whose stepson just happened to be mr Ralph Fiennes. the hall now had a break for two years before we were prevailed upon to allow use of these magnificent settings once more. the film was endgame and depicted the negotiations to end apartheid in south Africa. the hall represented the london offices of Consolidated Goldfields. the preparation for shooting took the whole of one saturday and involved

reorganising the library, a difficult feat, particularly the clearing of the librarian’s desk, which was closely supervised. the exhibition Room became the second office and it all looked splendid. the most dramatic scene shot was of derek Jacobi, accompanied by his secretary, sweeping down the main staircase into his Rolls Royce in Foster lane. Quite simple, except there were anti-apartheid demonstrators outside and along Gresham st. All well controlled but good viewing. it was almost a repeat performance of the Peruvian President’s visit to the hall some years ago! mr stephen Poliakoff returned once more in 2009 to film his latest historical drama, Glorious 39 the film shone a rare spotlight on many Britons, particularly members of the aristocracy, who advocated peace with hitler, and it revolved around an establishment plot to stop, at all costs, opponents to Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement policy. the film starred regulars from previous filming – Bill Nighy and Romola Garai. the hall was meant to represent the Foreign office. the main staircase, the Binding Room, the Court Room and a glimpse of the livery hall were used but, most unusually of all, the maintenance and candle

store in the basement. the rooms were cleared and painted in a special paint by the hallkeeper’s team. the rooms then became offices, dark and heavy with menace. this amply illustrated how a good director can create many scenes from one location, in order to extract the most from the location fee of £15,000 plus costs. the film was shot with very little difficulty, and it was very apparent how much the cast and crew had enjoyed being at the hall. some television documentaries have been filmed in the hall, the latest was a scene from the seven Ages of Britain, featuring david dimbleby. memorably, in 2008, the Company’s librarian, david Beasley, featured in an episode of who do you think you are? which investigated Patsy Kensit’s ancestors. A strict procedure is followed when the hall is

used for filming. A contract is drawn up which lays out, in specific terms, what can be done, when and how. Also a ‘schedule of condition’ of the hall is agreed so there can be no mistake on responsibility should any damage occur. to date there has been no damage.

the drawing Room replicated an extremely plush office of one of the dictators

to some extent the negotiation of the fee is the most difficult. the Goldsmiths’ hall remains easily the most costly site in london but if you want the finest you have to pay for it. some cannot afford it. Allowing the hall to be used thus is a useful addition to the Company’s income. so what next? disney Productions are showing an interest in shooting some scenes from

of the

Pirates

Caribbean 4 this year, with Johnny depp possibly! in many ways it is hard work but enjoyable, and we all become a little starstruck –but who could blame us?

Helen Mirren in a scene from The Queen with James Cromwell (Prince Philip) and Roger Allam (Lord Janvrin)

Derek Jacobi in Endgame with Jonny Lee Miller

The world of the private client is quite distinct from that of an institution which is purchasing contemporary work for posterity. Rosemary Ransome Wallis has detailed the way in which the Company proceeds as follows. ‘Initiated by the Curator, a shortlist of studio-craftsmen, together with portfolios of their work, is laid before the Modern Collection Committee.

The resulting commissioned work is achieved by collective choice which does give a depersonalised dimension to the collection. However it still illustrates what attracts all private patrons to the world of silver and jewellery, that of involvement with an artistic force which brings into being a beautiful object which also has meaning’. So how can an individual access this creative process without the safety net offered by corporate responsibility? There does seem to be an increased interest by people

who want to own something special but are not sure how to go about it. Sometimes fear of the unknown, concern that the price will escalate and the final object may not be what was wanted are also factors which can deter commissioning.

When interviewing silversmiths, jewellers and their clients about this very personal method of acquiring something unique, one is struck by the inspiration which both parties have felt in this process. This venture into the unknown can be frightening, and yet it is also rewarding when the confidence of the

The art of commissioning tappInG creatIVe Forces:

By David Beasley

written recently about this very matter:

‘I have commissioned work many times in my life and find the process immensely exciting, stimulating and enjoyable. Besides portraits, I have commissioned sculpture work in wood and metal, a fountain for Trewithen Gardens, items of jewellery, and, most recently, a table piece now being made by Richard Fox.

‘The natural environment is one of the most important sources of influence both on the designer maker as well as on the commissioner. It is all about the conscious as

of the natural environment – light patterns, shade, sky, the sea, folds of the land, the hills and the valleys as well as the natural colour scope throughout the year. My specific influences tend always to the horticultural or botanical – colour, rarity, shape and form, delicacy, spectacle, fragility, evocativeness, transience, beauty, starkness and perhaps even emotion are all aspects I seek and admire.

‘I chose Richard Fox after discussions with our Curator because I felt he too would begin a journey of discovery alongside me as he explored how my commission could be

skills and sensitivities, into a silver piece to adorn a large dining table has been the challenge which both he and I have pursued – all the while listening carefully to some perceptive and guiding comments from our respective wives!

‘A commissioner must always have a clear vision of what he is trying to achieve both in size and scope as well as form and shape while the maker has to explore what is actually possible and would look appropriate. During this discussion process, both sides learn from the other and I believe both enrich the other in terms of ideas and depth of comprehension. A commission is something infinitely fulfilling at the end of the day because you have had a personal hand in creating an object which has

something of you in it.

‘Richard’s work is still incomplete as I write this (end May 2010) but it will be finished in three weeks. I am full of excitement to see the final outcome which, I firmly believe, will be spectacular and infinitely pleasing. Commissioning is, after all, a form of partnership during which good friendships can often arise, and I am already thinking of another commission to offer Richard.’

Ornella Iannuzzi, a jeweller, creates dramatic jewellery:

“My client saw the sea urchin ring which is called MerveilleOceanique at the Fair last year and she absolutely loved it. She had a piece of fossilised coral that she brought back from the South Pacific islands, with a big Tahitian pearl, and she wanted to have it as a jewel. She wasn’t too sure whether it would be a ring or a pendant nor about the design, so when she saw my ring she asked me if I could do the same design with her coral piece.

“The design evolved slightly differently from the original piece because her coral was much bigger and tougher than the sea urchin and therefore it needed a stronger shank but less of a ‘cage’ for protection.

“We met in December to decide the final colour of the ring as she wanted to choose between green rhodium or common gold plating. So I showed her some earrings that I had in the green rhodium colour and she agreed. She saw the design at that time but only in photomontage.

“When I finished the piece, I contacted her again because I wanted it to be in two colours – black and green – to enhance the design even more. She got really excited as the piece was in the final stage. However I thought it would be really good to enter it in the annual Goldsmiths’ Craft Council competition as it was one of the best pieces I’ve made so far. She agreed to let me enter it with her ring despite waiting for it since October. I am really thankful to her. She now has the piece and is delighted with the result which is a beautiful souvenir of her travels.”

Julia Lloyd-George has many years of experience as a jeweller and she has found that the profession demands more than just technical and design skills when special commissions are involved:

“In my ‘blurb’ about myself for last year’s Goldsmiths’ Fair, I labelled myself ‘the jewellery therapist’ because

I know, from personal experience, how immensely rewarding and personal it is doing a commission. There is intuition, tact and sometimes secrecy involved. Not always for a happy reason either. I once had to set a stone for a lady who had lost her son.

Richard Fox Design for the Trewithen centrepiece

Julia Lloyd-George

Pair of Art Deco style earrings Matt Pia

Ornella Iannuzzi Fossilised coral ring

Merveille Oceanique ring Simon Armitt

Finished watercolour design for Der Rosenkavalier commission by Theresa Nguyen

Jessica Fox

Annie Collinge Simon Armitt

“when i saw Jean’s work at the Goldsmiths’ Fair last year i knew i had found the ring i had been searching for”

I had to mount the stone the boy had acquired for his mother. It was not a beautiful stone but I had to turn it into an attractive piece. The mother was ecstatic about it because it meant so much to her.

“You travel on a ‘journey’ with that person to find out what they truly want through a variety of processes: looking at pieces, at photographs, making drawings, and sourcing stones. It is more often than not the case that the client is commissioning the piece as a surprise for a spouse, parent or a child, often celebrating anniversaries. So there is a double reward in receiving an

“The majority of my work comes in through word of mouth, so each commission adds to my network of satisfied clients (and friends) and helps to build my business. You have to be understanding and flexible and to do what the client wants, which is not necessarily your own style; for example, a pair of Art Deco earrings made for a wedding commission.”

Jean Scott-Moncrieff had an experience which must happen frequently to all jewellers – lovely ring, wrong size! Happily she played on the positive – to her advantage:

“At last year’s Fair, a visitor tried on one of my rings but it was too small for her. She got in touch later saying that she had been dreaming about the ring. Could I make it fit her?

ecstatic letter thanking me and in knowing that you have a happy client.

“Some commissions are very unusual, for example an engagement ring of emeralds and diamonds, wrapping around the finger in the form of a lizard. It doesn’t follow that the larger the commission, the more rewarding. It is much more the personal aspect that gives me pleasure. It is such a responsibility and privilege to be given a valuable precious stone to work on. One feels so lucky to be handling such beauty.

I said that because of the design (wide 22ct gold ring with two wires either side) I would have to make another one for her. She particularly liked the very dark red fire opal in the original ring so I unset the stone and reused it. She is a picture restorer and she discussed the ring with her colleague, who then came to see me and I have made another 22 carat gold and water opal ring for her. They both said that the rings reminded them of mediaeval jewellery that they see in some of the portraits they work on.”

Her client’s story shows how commissioning can be so much more rewarding:

“When I saw Jean’s work at the Goldsmiths’ Fair last year I knew I had found the ring I had been searching for.

I wanted something I could wear every day but it had to have a certain romance too.

This design, with its rich red stone in a plain wide gold band, conjured up for me the rings in Tudor portraits. The stone, a Mexican fire-opal, glowed with an inner light; just the name had an exotic poetry about it. I was also fascinated to hear Jean describe how the ring was made. I am a picture restorer, with a special interest in the materials and techniques of painting, and when Jean told me the slightly mottled, matt texture of the gold band was brought about by rolling the gold through a sort of mangle lined with watercolour paper, my decision was made. But first the ring would have to be made all over again to fit my finger. The process of commissioning the ring was part of the adventure. Jean is a delightful person, and we met for tea near my workplace to decide on the size and final details.

Then she was off to the Assay Office (more romance!) and just a few weeks later my ring arrived by Special Delivery, in time for Christmas. Four months on it is unthinkable for me not to wear it all the time, and I sneak a little look at it several times a day just to remind myself how lovely it is.”

Jewellery commissions can also rehabilitate oldfashioned jewels and bring

alive the memories of lost ones, as Ruth Tomlinson discovered recently: “A lady spoke to me about a commission for some pieces of jewellery to be made out of one ring – one for each of her two daughters.”

Stella Ware, accompanied by her elder daughter, Holly, met Ruth at an Open Studio event and she liked her work. Her mother’s engagement ring, set with a sapphire and two diamonds, which she never really liked, was lying in a box unworn. Using the stones for jewellery for her daughters very much appealed to her, and Ruth set to work to make up some designs –fi rst with Holly. She chose one of the diamonds and, in consultation with Ruth, a pale white gold was selected for the ring shank together with some smaller diamonds with an older style of cut to offset the large stone.

With that success, attention turned to the younger daughter, Imogen, who chose the sapphire which was then set in a rich yellow gold shank, again offset with some smaller older style cut diamonds. Having satisfied her daughters with something relating to their grandmother, it was Stella’s turn. From the gold shank of the mother’s ring Ruth made a pair of plain earrings. In order not to leave out her son the remaining diamond is being kept for his possible use.

Artists with a distinct graphic style are occasionally pushed out of their comfort zones by clients.

Olivia Schlevogt found that some of her commissions evolve from the ebb and flow of discussions between the jeweller and her client.

An initial commission for a necklace developed into something much more substantial. She takes up the story:

“When I first met Ann, I showed her a lot of images of my work on my laptop and she looked at several shapes and styles and pointed out to me some she particularly liked. I then found out that she wanted a necklace but one she could wear in the evening for going out and also during the day. Therefore the effect was to be not too extravagant but still one which made a statement. I then got pen and paper out and I sketched several pendants and used the shape and style she particularly liked. She also liked the chains I make, and I combined that with the pendant. Then she said it

would be great if she could wear the pendant as a brooch and the chain by itself. When I got back to my workshop, I sat down and made some small changes to the design of the pendant to include the brooch fitting, and I also designed the chain, so she could wear it on its own.

“I offered to show her the final designs but she left it up to me to just go ahead and make the piece. We met one more time, and I showed her the piece before I finished it off just in case she wanted some changes, but she liked it as it was and so I finished it and had it hallmarked.”

Ann Orton spoke about her role in the design of her jewel:

“…A completely new experience for me. I prefer silver to gold… I was interested in Olivia’s combination of brushed silver with gold, of straight lines and curves, and of flat and curved or folded pieces. Working with her allowed me to bring some of my own ideas into play to create something unique but it was slightly daunting to be faced with a clean sheet of paper. It was fascinating going from discussion to sketch to partfi nished piece. Olivia was excellent in translating what

Jean Scott-Moncrieff Rings including one set with a fire opal (top)

Ruth Tomlinson and her rings Ian Forsyth

Olivia Schlevogt Silver parcelgilt pendant and chain Richard Valencia

I said into a drawing and she encouraged me to adjust and to express my own variations.

It felt like a real collaboration and a joint creative process.

And the part-finished piece was like seeing the drawing come to life – exactly as I’d imagined. Olivia was a joy to work with.”

Silversmiths are used to hollow forms and functional silver, so Theresa Nguyen had a task on her hands with this recent request. A City based investment manager was seeking a very special present to mark a 25th wedding anniversary:

“When I came up with the idea for this piece, I knew that Theresa would be the right person as I had seen a fantastic piece of hers at the Goldsmiths’ Fair last October, which had exactly the right combination of an organic feeling and superb attention to detail. Commissioning presents an opportunity to be quite specific about what is wanted. In this case I had some very specific ideas I wanted Theresa to consider although, of course, in the end the interpretation is the artist’s. And the impact on the recipient (this was a gift) is quite different, because it has been made just for them.

“The process was great fun and Theresa is a delight

particularly interesting. I would be very happy to commission work from her in the future and to recommend her.”

Theresa’s way of realising her client’s ideas is unusual:

“The client provided me with the brief to listen to the music of Richard Strauss from the opera, Der Rosenkavalier , as a source of inspiration; this is a piece that has a lot of meaning to his wife and himself. The initial meeting was the starting point of the creative process. Ideas were formed through discussion and observation and, particularly for me, listening intently to the thoughts shared by the client.

“With this commission, the client had thrown down the gauntlet to translate music into a visual threedimensional form. Over a period of time the music opened up a stream of ideas and feelings that gradually trickled onto a blank sheet of paper. My layout of ideas, sent to the client, allowed a fruitful interchange between us whereby his

received a detailed drawing of the final design proposal with indications of ornamentation, size and form. Following further discussions, the design was approved. It took another

“i would be very happy to commission work from her in the future and to recommend her”

two months to transform the design into reality”

This joyful process –of commissioning an original piece of jewellery or silver – can be undertaken by anyone at any level. Events, such as British Silver Week, London Jewellery Week, British Jewellery Week, and exhibitions, such as Goldsmiths’ Fair, Origin and Collect, highlight the remarkable array of talent which is available in the United Kingdom and retail shops and galleries provide marvellous opportunities to view, to admire and to commission work throughout the year.

Theresa Nguyen

Theresa’s mood board of ideas and responses in discussion with the client

HRH The Prince of Wales, wearing Garter Robes

© Richard Stone

By Dick Melly

The last 12 months have again proved to be tumultuous at Goldsmiths’ Hall. The main headlines have been the impact of the recession on the Company’s finances in general, and on the Assay Office in particular, and the halting progress with the implementation of the Goldsmiths’ Centre project. At the same time, a busy programme of events and exhibitions has been maintained, including opportunities for Company members to engage in social and sporting events.

I will start my more detailed look at the year with an update on Company staff. Warren Benbow left the Company at the end of 2009 after just short of nine years of service in the capacity of Assistant Clerk. Hugely capable, Warren will be sorely missed – at least until Nick Harland, to be known as the Deputy Clerk, comes up to speed! Nick Harland has the same Royal Navy background as Warren (both were aviators and both had command of two warships), and he and his wife Susie are most welcome. Peter Quinn has joined the Accounts team, and Deborah Wynne has taken over as the Education Administrator from Nancy Bedford who has decided to try her luck in France. Two long-standing members of the Hall staff are leaving in the summer; Margaret McGregor and Lesley Leader will be much missed.

The Assay Office continues to operate in challenging times. The volume of articles presented for hallmarking, across the country, has dropped from 35 million in 2005 to just 16 million over the last 12 months. Inevitably this has meant that it has been necessary to look carefully at our costs, and it was unfortunately necessary to embark upon another redundancy round in the early summer of 2009. Since then, the emphasis has been upon consolidating our customer base and concentrating on our customer care. This latter aspect has included an investment in the Assay Office website and the introduction of monthly electronic newsletters. An interesting development has been the recent phenomenon of recycling jewellery, and this has enabled the Assay Office to offer additional services in support of these new customers,

A particularly innovative and successful project was establishment of an artist residence, shannon o’Neill,

including the smelting of gold. On 1 January 2010, palladium was brought under the Hallmarking Act, and an encouraging number of articles have been presented for marking.

The Assay Office continues to operate on three sites, with the Greville Street office providing a premier service for Hatton Garden, the Heathrow office accommodating imported goods, and the Hall providing the supporting functions and catering for a base load of articles sent from around the country to receive the prestigious leopard’s head hallmark.

The project to establish the Goldsmiths’ Centre in Clerkenwell was stopped in its tracks in August 2009 when the builder went into administration. Given that this is always going to be an undesirable occurrence, the timing was actually about as good as it could be, as it coincided with the completion of the demolition phase. The contract was retendered over the following few months and in January 2010 Balfour Beatty Construction Scottish & Southern Ltd was selected as the new prime contractor. It is now envisaged that the project will complete in the autumn of 2011, at which point the real work of making a difference to the trade will begin.

Over the last year, the Company has continued its role of promoting the craft. The Curator, Rosemary Ransome Wallis, has shown selected pieces of the collection in Ruthin, North Wales. A particularly innovative and successful project was the establishment of an artist in residence, Shannon

O’Neill, at Dunham Massey for five months over the summer; she proved to be a considerable draw, and the same model will now be tried again elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Promotion Director, Paul Dyson, has been running a series of events at the Hall, with a stunning exhibition Creation II, and another successful two week Goldsmiths’ Fair. The Company also contributed both to British Silver Week, as the patron, and to London Jewellery week, with functions in support of both initiatives held at the Hall.

Work has also been undertaken over the last year to develop the Company’s brand and to improve its websites. This has proved to be a protracted process, but the new brand has now been implemented, and new websites with improved functionality will follow on shortly. The aim has been to ensure that the Goldsmiths’ Company, across all of its facets, is instantly recognisable as a single entity, whilst improving the consistency of the way in which it presents itself to its members, its customers and the wider public.

During times of financial constraint, and when difficult steps are being taken to balance the books, it is always instructive to look at how our forebears faced up to such challenges. If nothing else, it is encouraging to note that we have been there before. On 21 May 1713, the Committee appointed to ‘examine the accounts and inspect and regulate all affairs of the Company’ reported that the affairs of the Company had been in decline since 1683. The yearly receipts of the Company were £2,206 12s but the total annual payments were £3,202 10s 6d; debts were £18,120. The Committee ended its report as follows: ‘We conclude all with acquainting this Court that these matters being of the highest importance to this Company it is our opinion that they have now an opportunity offered of redressing the evils and preventing the entire ruine and destruction of the Company, which, if neglected or delayed, wee have just reason to fear will hereafter prove irretrievable’.

be thought of the quantity drunk’. Indeed!

it is always instructive to look at how our forebears faced up to such challenges

Margaret McGregor, Tony Bowen and Lesley Leader

The Clerk in conversation with Richard Vanderpump and Warden Richard Agutter

Julia Skupny

Julia Skupny

at dunham massey

By Robert Organ

in 2009 the hallmarking Act was amended to include palladium

Activity

It was a particularly notable year for hallmarking because in 2009 the Hallmarking Act was amended to include palladium in the list of those alloys that require compulsory hallmarking. It is only the fourth time in the 700 year history of hallmarking in the UK that alloys from a new metal have been introduced, the last being alloys of platinum in 1975. The palladium hallmark became available in the summer for the compulsory launch date of 1 January 2010. Uptake during this period was encouraging, and 17,777 of the 45,304 articles received by all UK offices were marked in London.

The total number of articles hallmarked dropped from 18.9 million in 2008 to 16.2 million in 2009. A continued fall of 30.8% in gold demand between the two years was the main factor in this decrease. In contrast, demand for silver increased by 5.5% over the same period and, for the first time for many years, more silver articles were hallmarked than gold. Platinum showed a small decrease of 4.5%.

The number of articles hallmarked by London was 3.4 million, 16.6% less than the previous year. Of these, 1.1 million were marked at the Heathrow sub-office and 130,647 at Greville Street. Both of these sites continue to receive considerable praise for the quality of the specialist service which they deliver.

Fuelled by the record high gold prices, the great phenomenon in the trade during the year was the prolific increase in the number of companies offering to buy gold from the general public. The Assay Office was able to offer to a number of these customers professional services, such as melt and assay, and this generated welcome additional income.

Following the palladium information evening in April 2009, the Assay Office organised a number of successful events during the year to educate manufacturers, retailers and trading standards officers on hallmarking. Amongst these were three retailers’ information days, and two trading standards seminars. One of these was held in Belfast, which helped to kick off a major initiative on hallmarking in Northern Ireland. Several smaller workshops were also provided for individual trading standards enforcement teams. Lectures were given to students on silversmithing jewellery courses across the country.

To improve communication with customers, a regular e-news bulletin was introduced. This provides up-to-date information on activities within the Assay Office and lists forthcoming events.

Antique Plate Committee

A total of 147 pieces were examined, of which 54 conformed to the Hallmarking Act. The remainder comprised 22 with alterations and additions, 24 with transposed marks, 32 with counterfeit marks and 15 items which were outside the jurisdiction of the Committee.

Suspected Offences

Seventeen suspected offences against the Hallmarking Act were reported to the Office by Local Authority Trading Standards Officers, which resulted in four prosecutions.

Standards Committees

The proposed revision to EN1811 relating to Nickel Release Testing has caused considerable discontent amongst UK providers of this test, many of which are the Assay Offices. is considerable risk that customers will lose confidence. Every effort is being made to find a way to improve the current test in a way that keeps the customers on board.

International

Convention on Hallmarks and International Association of Assay Offices (IAAO)

Life on the international hallmarking front became more settled over the past year as the key issues relating to the EU Mutual Recognition Regulation and Services Directive were resolved with only a small impact on existing hallmarking arrangements.

Lithuania finally completed ratification of the 2001 amendment of the Hallmarking Convention. One impact of this is that there will now be a palladium Convention mark. No new countries acceded to the Hallmarking Convention. The IAAO goes from strength to strength and Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Memorandum of Understanding.

Changes to the Hallmarking Act

The Hallmarking Council and National Measurement Office are liaising with the Government to amend the Hallmarking Act to allow UK offices to apply a UK hallmark off-shore. This will allow UK assay offices to compete with countries, such as the Netherlands, which already have such legislation in place. A Legislative Reform Order (LRO) will be used to progress the matter and the amendments are expected to be completed by the middle of next year.

Staff

Brent Jones and Chris Walne received their long service awards. A consequence of the downturn in business was that ten redundancies had to be made during the year. This was a particularly painful experience.

The wearing of pink and a spate of cross-dressing broke out again as £200 was collected for Breast Cancer Research. John Love was first into his frock.

A selection of hallmarking support tools for rings

David Archer with Summer School students during a visit to the Assay Office

Dave Merry with a hoard of counterfeit jewellery, seized in partnership with

Alistair

Fyfe

work is now well under way to create a new course on the subject of sustainable energy

While charitable donations are demand led, the educational programmes are largely of the Company’s own devising. The Education Committee is chaired by Lord Sutherland and comprises ten other Assistants, Liverymen and Freemen.

Deborah Wynne has recently joined the staff, taking over the Education Administrator’s role from Nancy Bedford. The Exhibitioners’ Reception at the Hall in February this year served to highlight the wide range of charitable activities in the educational field in which the Company is involved.

There was a strong turnout from the adopted primary schools, undertaking numeracy and literacy projects under the direction of the Head Teachers. While deprivation and substantial ethnic minorities are a common backdrop, the challenge each is facing is varied and these Heads are meeting them in different and innovative ways. Since the last report, another three schools in the Borough of Lambeth have been added to the project, bringing the total to seven, and a close relationship is maintained with them through visits by staff and members of the Committee.

After the launch of the new Grants for Teachers programme last year, the first results have been coming in, with projects ranging from research on maths teaching in Finland; the Australian development of its Olympics legacy (an afterthought

apparently); and, armed with a photospectrometer, a scientific expedition in Antarctica to conduct research on suntan lotion. Some of these enthusiasts were present at the reception and were the focus of animated discussions. This year grants have been made to eight teachers with imaginative projects which will benefit not only them and their schools but also the wider education field. These grants are worth up to £5,000 per person to undertake the project and to supply teaching cover.

The six Science for Society Courses, held at Cambridge, Queen Mary and Brunel universities in July each year for up to 25 teachers per course, continue to be popular, especially so for some serial attendees who speak very highly of them. The idea behind these is to enthuse and broaden teachers’ perspectives and to provide them with new teaching resources to take back to their schools. Work is now well under way to create a new course to offer in 2011 on the subject of Sustainable Energy, and the Company is working with Bath University to deliver this. Musicians at the Guildhall School of Music receive a grant of £15,000 and they perform on a regular basis at Livery Dinners. The Medical bursars, who are studying medicine as a second degree, were also in evidence at the event which encompassed numerous aspects of the Company’s remit in the field of education.

This year, as suspected, the scale of grant making has been affected by the economic downturn. The General Charity budget now stands at £900,000 with the Education budget at £320,000.

Norfolk and Somerset Community Foundations have both received the final instalments of their three year grants, of £30,000 and £60,000 respectively. The Company has been working with the Community Foundations for over 20 years now, making its first grants in this area in 1988 to the Tyne and Wear Foundation (now Community Foundation) and the South Yorkshire Foundation. This has become an established feature of the Company’s grant-making as it offers substantial ongoing support for a community identified by the Community Foundation as a particular area of need. A new chapter will shortly be opening with a commitment to support two new Community Foundations for a further three years.

This year there has been a review of the policy of grantmaking to hospices and churches. For many years the Company has had close links with St. Christopher’s Hospice, the first hospice founded by the late Dame Cicely Saunders, a liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company. As a hospice with a national profile the Company has decided to concentrate its support on this charity by allowing an annual fundraising event in the Hall. This year the Children’s Hospices UK, an umbrella organisation, has received a grant of £15,000 towards funding services to help children and to support their families.

The Goldsmiths’ Company has been supporting the National Churches Trust since 1955, with an annual block grant being made since 1998. Applications from individual churches are therefore not normally considered.

the Company is taking a leading role to support the Princes’ new endeavour

Following a review, this grant has been increased to £50,000 to bring it in line with the annual grants made to heritage projects. An additional annual grant of £10,000 was made to the Stepney Episcopal Area fund. Now only appeals from cathedrals which relate to the upkeep of a treasury will be considered.

The Charity Committee meets ten times a year and, on average, considers grant applications numbering 35 a month. In addition to the major grants mentioned, it tries to strike a balance across the areas of general welfare, medicine, youth and culture, concentrating on the London area or to those charities with a national remit. As an alternative to a grant towards specific projects, the Company also makes grants to charities to enable them to make use of the Hall for events. These are a vital part of many charities’ calendars, enabling them to raise much needed extra funding.

The Wardens once again made a number of significant grants on behalf of the Company, most notably to the newly formed Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry. This was set up at the end of 2009 by the Princes to support charitable activities in three areas: young people in society; sustainable development at home and overseas; and veterans’ welfare. The Wardens made a donation of £25,000 to the Foundation, and the Company is taking a leading role amongst the other Livery Companies to support the Princes’ new endeavour. The Order of St. John Museum Development Appeal received a grant of £10,000.

Lord Sutherland with Science for Society delegate Rachel Higley at the Exhibitioners’ Reception

Judy Lowe and Medical Bursary recipient Thomas Johnston at the Exhibitioners’ Reception

Nick Harland, the new Deputy Clerk

The National Youth Orchestra and the Hackney Playbus both received grants in the last year

Julia Skupny

Julia Skupny

Mark McNulty

By Nick Harland

By Nick Harland

By Paul Dyson

In the beginning of 2009 a project was undertaken to help the Goldsmiths’ Company maintain its relevance and role for both current and future audiences. Over time the many different services and activities undertaken by the Goldsmiths’ Company have expanded considerably and begun both to operate and look like individual entities, rather than one brand. There is also the added question of defining the relationship between the forthcoming Goldsmiths’ Centre and the Goldsmiths’ Company. The project examined how to communicate more effectively to its multiple and varied audiences the role, services and activities of the Goldsmiths’ Company. The specialist branding company Neon was appointed to undertake the project.

The strategic advice was to rationalise the brand architecture to a ‘branded house’ system, where each and every service and charitable activity was brought under the singular brand: ‘The Goldsmiths’ Company’. This reinforced the value and extent of the Goldsmiths’ Company’s activities and support – whether that be for the trade, the City of London, for technical training, for assaying services, promotional activities or charitable contribution and support.

One of the few Twelve Great Livery Companies that is still active (and proactive) in the field for which it was founded, the Goldsmiths’ Company’s raison d’être was to regulate the craft and trade of the goldsmith. It has however evolved into an organisation that does much more than be a guardian and facilitator. The Company occupies a unique space with a 360° influence and whilst there are other organisations that offer assaying services, training and technology facilities and promotional support, only the Goldsmiths’ Company can lay claim to be active across all these areas – and many more.

Based on these observations, the new positioning recommendation was to become the ‘touchstone’.

The touchstone is a fundamental part of the Goldsmiths’ Company heritage and is visible today in the coat of arms (in the left hand of the demi-maiden). When assaying began, the touchstone was used as a tool to test the quality and authenticity of gold. Today the word ‘touchstone’ represents a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognised. So, in regard to positioning, the Goldsmiths’ Company has evolved over more than 700 years to become a true guardian of, and facilitator for, the trade, setting standards and championing craft. As such it has become the touchstone: for the trade, for the Company’s members, for charity and for the City of London, delivering usefulness, quality and the benefits of partnership in everything it does.

The next stage of the project addressed the visual strategy, to ensure communication materials for all activities, services and promotions reflected both the brand architecture and the brand positioning. The refreshed brand mark is shown here. The system facilitates a broad tone of voice to help segment training and technology materials from promotional materials for example. The new brand identity and supporting system has been documented in a thorough brand manual, with the new scheme being rolled out over the period of a year.

Overall, the process has given the Goldsmiths’ Company a unique and robust platform to communicate clearly its purpose and guardianship role within the trade, along with its philanthropic values and activities, both now and in the future.

The task has taken a great deal of work.

Meanwhile, the Department’s other activities continued unabated. The spring exhibition focused on the work of the Japanese silversmith Hiroshi Suzuki who was spotted by Lesley Leader of the Curator’s department in 1997 when he was a student at Camberwell College of Art. Subsequently several of his objects have been acquired by the Company. The visitor numbers proved to be by far the highest in living memory for a living silversmith. Two illustrated talks given by the artist attracted 578 enthusiasts.

The Goldsmiths’ Fair was also staged during the autumn, again in the successful two week format. Reassuringly, the number of visitors and the value of sales both stood up well, despite the ravages of the recession.

Two new part-time staff members have joined the department. David Mills works as the Marketing Manager and

By Peter Taylor

This year has proved to be a busy and exciting one for the department, which was complicated by the absence of my Assistant, Karin Paynter, who was away on maternity leave. She had a lovely little girl and has now returned to her former role, a relief to all!

Despite the department’s reduced capacity, the year nevertheless flew by with an undiminished programme of activities and calendar of events. In December, 192 applications were received for the bursary scheme which provides precious metals for final year undergraduates. It was a challenging review process for Mary Ann Simmons and Lorna Watson to judge, as competition was fierce. Over 50 successful applicants received grants of up to £250.

In January, the annual GettingStarted course took place with a series of challenging and varied presentations from guest speakers. As always, the evening trade reception went with a swing, despite a tube strike. The department is immensely grateful to all those who give their time to kick-start the careers of these graduates.

Whilst February was a quieter month for the department, the Company’s apprentices swept the board in those categories in which they submitted entries for the 2009 Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Competition. This is a testament to the quality of training which they receive, and they made everyone very proud of their achievements.

On the subject of skills training, two other notable activities took place during the period.

Throughout the year two of our apprentices, Adam Claridge and Ryan Nelson, were in training for the 2009 WORLDSKILLS competition. During a close-run selection test, Adam was chosen to represent the UK at the event in Calgary in September and he achieved a very creditable twelfth place.

In March, Creative & Cultural Skills approached the department with a request for assistance in reviewing and revising the National Occupational Standards for the sector. These inform the structure and nature of all qualifications that are offered by awarding bodies, such as City & Guilds, and are therefore fundamentally important

the Company’s apprentices swept the board

elements in the training process. An industry steering group, comprising manufacturers and craftsmen, was subsequently co-opted by the Company.

Work continued on the standards over the course of the year, and they were submitted in March 2010 and subsequently approved. The task is now in hand to identify the appropriate awarding bodies with whom we can develop the appropriate suite of qualifications. Last but not least, work continued on the Goldsmiths’ Centre project which is discussed in more depth elsewhere in the Review. Notably, from an operational point of view, a highly successful Summer School was held under the expert guidance of Dr Stuart Devlin at Goldsmiths’ Hall with 20 undergraduates participating in a week of practical sessions and inspirational presentations.

In closing this report I must pay tribute to the team that enables this Department to perform consistently to the highest standards.

Tom Bowtell as the Who’s Who in Gold & Silver Website Editor.

Exhibition poster for Hiroshi Suzuki: Silver Waves

Summer School visit to David Marshall’s workshop

Precious Metal Bursary Competition winner Lisa Murphy produced a two metre long sterling silver and 22ct gold neckpiece using rapid prototyping and hand forming techniques Malcolm Finnie Alistair Fyfe

A new audience is witnessing exceptional creative modern silver today, often for the fi rst time

The Company agreed to rescue it. It now harmonises with the 1960 landscape scheme of Sir Peter Shepheard in the Company’s Gresham Street garden. Originally titled Groupof NewspaperMen it is the only public monument to journalism in this country – its rescue commended by Christopher Wilson in The Times. At a ceremony in September this period sculpture was formally blessed by the Company’s rector, Father Alan McCormack.

By Rosemary Ransome

The National Trust property, Dunham Massey in Cheshire, was the venue for my initiative of enabling the public, for the first time, to engage more fully with silversmiths of the past through witnessing an artist craftsman silversmith at work in the present. Called StudioSilverToday, the Company’s exhibition featured Shannon O’Neill, winner of the Young Designer Silversmith Award in 1995. Her work bench, together with a showcase of her major work, lent by her patrons, plus explanatory illustrated panels, were placed in a room in the house. Adjoining this room is housed the great collection of Huguenot domestic silver amassed at Dunham by George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington. Using her raising and chasing skills, Shannon demonstrated to the public at weekends from June to October 2009, using the same range of craft skills as were employed in the 18th century to make a prize beaker inspired by the oak trees in the park. Her demonstration brought an appreciation of contemporary silver to a wider audience. Visitor figures went up by one-third to 48,270. I established last year from Land Securities, developers of New Street Square, Holborn, that the Company was the final legal owner of previous outdoor art furnishings that had been sited there. Only one statue was then located in a Watford demolition yard, a work in Portland stone weighing 2.5 tons. Titled The Three Printers, 1957, by Wilfred Dudeney RBS (1911–1989) I recognised it as being of artistic and historical importance. Showing the influence of Henry Moore in its grouping of three figures, the sculpture was a major commission by the former Westminster Press Group for its new headquarters in New Street Square.

Gold is the primary material used to create two jewels acquired for the Collection. From Andrew Lamb a beautiful oval brooch, ChangingColourSeries, in 18ct gold and silver wire was purchased from his stand at Origin, the London craft fair at Somerset House. There too David Poston had exhibited his laser-welded two-part 18ct gold bracelet. Visually appearing heavy as a piece of jewellery Poston’s invented technique allows this striking piece to be light and easily worn.

Earlier it had won the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council (GC&DC) Gold Award for technology and innovation.

A number of art medals have been added to the collection. Linda Crook’s I Count Goats, originally issued by BAMS, was acquired in silver. From Robert Elderton a silver version was acquired of The Saint of St Pancras featuring a portrait of John Betjeman, a design which had won Gold Prize and a Council Special Award in the 2008 GC&DC competition. From Jacqueline Stieger two medals depicting more sombre subjects were acquired. Her Water medal shows healthy wheat ears on one side, the reverse revealing a cake of dried and cracked mud. Her commissioned medal on the theme of global warming was commended for its outstanding creative translation of such a powerful subject.

A number of items of contemporary silver were acquired for the Collection in the past year. Miriam Hanid (b. 1986)

was the youngest silversmith to be placed under commission following her show in British Silver Week at the Hall last year. Her DelugeCentrepiece is inspired by momentary patterns in flowing water and is achieved by her technique of chasing fine silver formed on wood using wooden hammers. Exhibiting beside her was Rauni Higson. She was commissioned to make a flat hammered salver, a technique she had learned from the revered craftsman Christopher Lawrence. Later commissioned was Angus McFadyen who made a silver vase decorated with ferns using his characteristic hand engraving. And finally Silver bowl/Glass bowl was commissioned from Alex Ramsay allowing her to explore the concept of reflection and shadow. One bowl is hand raised, pierced and formed as a double-skinned bowl, the other is hand blown glass with copper oxide. A unique pair, the bowls reference each other’s patterns. The Company also purchased work from various contemporary silver exhibitions which reflect the increasing reputation of this decorative art form: Goldsmiths’ Fair 2009 (William Lee, Theresa Nguyen, Adrian Hope, Anna Lorenz and Fred Rich); Lesley Craze at Collect 2009, (Grant McCaig’s carafe and two beakers); and Origin2009 (Lucian Taylor’s DoubleSphere bowl).

Lucian’s piece consisting of silver wire, hand welded over a steel former, was placed in the last showcase as the finale in the highly successful exhibition of the Company’s contemporary silver collection Treasuresofthe21stCentury The exhibition was held in the renowned contemporary applied arts gallery at Ruthin Craft Centre in North Wales. This striking new building incorporates 300 square metres of exhibition space. Consisting of over 100 pieces (from 1999 to 2009) by 43 studio silversmiths, chosen to be ambassadors of the craft in the first decade of the 21st century, the Company’s exhibition looked breathtaking.

Alex Ramsay explores the concept of refl ection and shadow

This inspirational exhibition attracted over 20,000 visitors. This is the last of the Company’s present programme of travelling exhibitions in the UK. The Treasures series featuring the Company’s remarkable contemporary silver collection began in 2004 and has been shown at six different national museums and galleries. Overall there have been 98,000 visitors to these exhibitions. This is a new audience witnessing exceptional creative modern silver today, often for the first time.

Silver bowl/Glass bowl, 2009, fine silver and glass, by Alex Ramsay Clarissa Bruce

Saint of St Pancras, medal of Sir John Betjeman, 2009, silver, by Robert Elderton Clarissa Bruce

Beaker and carafe set, 2009, fine silver, by Grant McCaig Clarissa Bruce

Beaker, 2005, silver (later enamelled), by Fred Rich

Clarissa Bruce

Wallis

By Eleni Bide

Books

The Library continues to refresh its stock, and among the most read purchases of the last year have been books on contemporary silver and jewellery – subjects much in demand by its growing numbers of student readers. However, those received as gifts also continue to provide important updates to the collections. This has been especially true in the last year, with Timothy Schroder donating his authoritative British and Continental Gold and Silver in the Ashmolean Museum and Mark Grimwade his revised Introduction to Precious Metals. Monographs on particular themes have also provided fascinating new sources for research, with publications on rattles, napkin rings, enamel portrait miniatures, early toilette silver and the history of gold, generously given by a wide variety of benefactors. Perhaps the most unusual gift was a 19th century catalogue of cutlery made by an American silver manufacturer. The Library accepted this alongside several other period catalogues and was able to help their donor, Paul Thackray, find suitable homes for other works in his collection.

Archives

The Company’s archives attract a diverse range of researchers, and their work often helps staff to look at material in a new light. In October contact was made by a group of architects planning restoration work on the Goldsmiths’ Almshouses in Acton. Their request led to the rediscovery of a group of designs depicting the almshouses, probably from the office of the Company’s Surveyor, Charles Beazley. The neglected designs were then made stable by the Library’s paper conservator, Liane Owen, and can now be safely consulted by future visitors. The more contemporary archives have also been of interest to the growing number of scholars interested in 20th century silver. This has led to a new initiative gathering material on the life and work of some of the era’s important figures, many of whom are happily still able to provide information in person.

Access

Assay Office

Management

Mr. R.F.H. Vanderpump (Chairman)

Sir Jerry Wiggin

Mr. G.G. Macdonald

Mr. R.D. Agutter

Mr. R.G.H. Crofts

Mr. R.E. Southall

Mr. N. Swan

Mr. M.R. Winwood

Antique Plate

Mr. R.P.T. Came (Chairman)

Mr. R.F.H. Vanderpump

Mr. N.V. Bassant

Mr. A.J. Butcher

Mr. P. Cameron

Mr. D.E. Cawte

Mr. A.J. Dickenson

Mrs. K. Jones

Mrs. L.M. Morton

House

Sir Jerry Wiggin (Chairman)

Mr. R.P.T. Came

Mr. M.D. Drury

Mr. H.J. Miller

Mrs. N. Buchanan-Dunlop

Mr. W.N.N. Diggle

The Hon. Joanna Gardner

Mr. M.S. Soames

Mr. R.W.G. Threlfall

Charity

Mr. D.A.E.R. Peake (Chairman)

Mr. S.A. Shepherd

The Hon. Mark Bridges

Miss V.R. Broackes

Mrs. S.C. Hamilton

Dr. C.G. Mackworth-Young

Mr. W.H.C. Montgomery

Mr. R. O’Hora

Collection and Library

Mr. R.F.H. Vanderpump (Chairman)

Sir Jerry Wiggin

Professor R.L. Himsworth

Mr. T.B. Schroder

Mr. C. English

Dr. K. Jensen

Mr. R.W.G. Threlfall

Mr. C.H. Truman

Mr. A.E. Turner

Promotion

Mr. H.J. Miller (Chairman)

Mr. T.B. Schroder

Dame Lynne Brindley

Miss J.L. Clarke

Mrs. M. La Trobe-Bateman

Mr. C. Mellor

Mr. J. Ronayne

Mr. N. Semmens

Investment

Mr. D.A.E.R. Peake (Chairman)

Mr. W.H.M Parente

Sir John Rose

Mr. U.D. Barnett

Mr. W. Hill

Sir Stuart Lipton

Mr. R.R. Madeley

The Hon. J.J. Nelson

Mr. R.A. Stirling

Technology and Training

Mr. S.A. Shepherd (Chairman)

Mr. B.E. Toye

Mr. G.G. Macdonald

Professor J.B. Dainton

Mr. T.R.B. Fattorini

Mr. R.N. Fox

Mr. D.A. Marshall

one of the biggest challenges the library faces is promoting awareness of its facilities

One of the biggest challenges the Library faces is promoting awareness of its facilities among key user groups, including academics, students and the trade. A continuing programme (begun in early 2009) of submitting weekly features highlighting library services to the online newsletter benchpeg has generated some very positive results. Group visits for students and other special interest groups such as NADFAS church recorders have also garnered an enthusiastic response. One of the most enjoyable moments of the year was devising a special research session for an enterprising group of students who bypassed their tutor and contacted the Library directly. Looking forward, the Library is working closely with other sections of the Company to develop a new website, and the department’s pages will become even more welcoming and informative!

Mr. A.M. Phillips

Mr. H. Willis

Goldsmiths’ Review Board

Mr. R.N. Hambro

Mr. A.M.J. Galsworthy

Mr. R.G. Melly

Mr. N.G. Harland

Mr. D.A. Beasley (Editor)

Miss. E.R. Bide

The Revd. Prebendary David Paton

Mr. J.R. Polk

Mr. W.G. Touche

Education

The Lord Sutherland of Houndwood (Chairman)

Dame Lynne Brindley

Miss C.V. Copeland

Miss H.S.E. Courtauld

Mr. R.A. Kelly

Professor J.E. King

Miss J.A. Lowe

Mr. R.A. Reddaway

The Hon. Mrs. Margaret Sanders

Mr. R.G. Straker

Miss M.A. Simmons

Miss J.B. Springer

Miss A. Stapleton

Modern

Professor R.L. Himsworth (Chairman)

Mr. H.M. Wyndham

Mr. C.E. Burr

Miss. C. De Syllas

Mrs. J.A. Game

Mr D.J. Prideaux

Mrs. D. Solowiej-Wedderburn

Professor W.M. Steen

Professor G.C.Whiles

Architectural plans for the Acton Almshouses, c.1812, from the Company’s archives

Members of the Court of Assistants

Mr. R.N. Hambro

Prime Warden until 19May2010

Mr. A.M.J. Galsworthy, CVO, CBE, DL Prime Warden from 19May2010

Mr. H.J. Miller

The Lord Sutherland of Houndwood, KT, FBA, FRSE

Mr. R.D. Agutter

Wardenfrom19May2010

Sir Anthony Touche, Bt.

Mr. C.R.C. Aston, TD

Sir Hugo HuntingtonWhiteley, Bt., DL

Mr. S.A. Shepherd

Mr. A.M. Stirling

The Lord Tombs of Brailes

Sir Paul Girolami

The Lord Cunliffe

Mr. R.F.H. Vanderpump

Mr. B.L. Schroder

Mr. R.P.T. Came

HRH The Prince of Wales, KG (Honorary Assistant)

Mr. D.A.E.R. Peake

Mr. B.E. Toye

Mr. M. Dru Drury, CBE, FSA

Sir Jerry Wiggin, TD

Professor R.L. Himsworth

Mr. G.G. Macdonald

Mr. W.H.M. Parente

Mr. T.B. Schroder, FSA

Dame Lynne Brindley, DBE

Sir John Rose

The Hon. Mark Bridges

Mr. M.J. Wainwright

Mr. H.M. Wyndham

The Livery

The following deaths were reported during the year preceded by the year of admission.

1989

Dr. Frank William Bennett

1976

Claude Blair, CVO, OBE, LittD, FSA

1991

Honor Mary Ruth Chapman, CBE

1972

Dr. Robert Stewart Rowe, CBE

The following Freemen were elected to the Livery and duly clothed during the year.

Edward Alexander Myles Bulmer

Neil Andrew Patrick Carson

Miss Julia Lawson Clarke

John Frederick Dale

Lieutenant Commander Wadham Nicholas Neston Diggle

Edward Richard Pearce Edgcumbe

The Hon. Joanna Mary Gardner

George Jay Hambro

Christopher Floyd Thomas Hartop

Charles Victor Spencer Hoare Nairne

Toby James Sutton Joll

Dr. Vanessa Vivienne

Lawrence, CB

George Grant Macdonald

Richard Reginald Madeley

David Anthony Marshall

The Reverend Prebendary

John David Marshall Paton

Ian Rank-Broadley

Frederick Stephen Rich

The Hon. Margaret Clare Sanders

The Hon. Anna Gwenllian Somers Cocks

Edmund Benedict Blyth Vickers

Stephen Webster

Associate Member

The following has been enrolled as an Associate of the Goldsmiths’ Company honoris causa:

Mr. Hiroshi Suzuki

May 2009/2010

Creation II: An insight into the mind of the modern artist-jeweller

This summer exhibition ran from 29 May to 11 July 2009. It featured 12 jewellers and attracted 4,309 visitors.

New Designers

Hannah Livingston (University of Dundee) and Lee Simmons (Sheffield Hallam University) were awarded the jewellery and silversmithing prizes at the Business Design Centre, Islington, on the evening of 8 July. Each received £1,000, a £500 precious metal bursary, a place on the 2010 Getting Started graduate business course and a valuable hallmarking package from Assay Office London.

Summer School

Twenty second-year undergraduates attended a summer school based at the Hall from 20–24 July under the supervision of Dr. Stuart Devlin and Peter Taylor.

Three Printers Statue

Formerly in New Street Square, sited on the steps of the Westminster Press, this statue, made by Wilfred Dudeney, c.1957, of Portland stone, was resited in the Company’s garden, in September.

Goldsmiths’ Fair

For the third year running the Fair ran for two weeks (28 September–11 October) and featured 161 silversmiths and jewellers. Over 10,600 visitors attended and sales exceeded £3m.

Young Designer Silversmith Award 2009

Haruka Usui’s carafe and two beakers were presented to Glasgow Museums by the Prime Warden at the Kelvingrove Museum on 3 November. Haruka is the seventh student from Glasgow to win the award in its fifteen year history.

Getting Started

The annual business course for graduates ran from 18–22 January 2010 and was attended by 33 jewellers and silversmiths.

Treasures of the 21st Century

The Company’s travelling exhibition was shown at the Ruthin Craft Centre and Gallery from 29 January–11 April and attracted over 20,000 visitors.

Hiroshi Suzuki: Silver Waves

The Japanese silversmith’s one-man show, arranged in conjunction with Adrian Sassoon, ran from 8 February–6 March and attracted 4,602 visitors.

Trial of the Pyx 2010

The Queen’s Remembrancer, Master Steven Whitaker, presided over the Trial on

Statistics for London Assay Office January-December 2009

9 February when 50,527 UK and New Zealand coins were counted. A favourable judgement was passed on the coins at the Delivery of the Verdicts on 30 April.

Young Designer Silversmith Award 2010

Ben Ryan from Bishopsland was adjudged the winner of this year’s award on 24 February. He will be making up his design for a mussel dish in the workshop of Padgham and Putland.

The Goldsmiths’ Centre

On 18 March, Balfour Beatty Construction Scottish & Southern Ltd was formally awarded the contract for the construction of the Goldsmiths’ Centre. The contractor took possession of the site in Clerkenwell on 30 April, and construction work began on 24 May with completion planned for October 2011.